The Cabal Archives -

Coup D’Etat Or Last Gasp Of The Cabal?

If you have been following NRA In Danger or Members Take Back the NRA (on Facebook), you are aware that David Coy called up certain fellow directors to press NRA President Bob Barr to call a meeting of the Executive Committee. Barr heeded Coy’s call and has scheduled an Executive Committee meeting for Friday to be conducted electronically on Microsoft Teams.

From: Frazer, John <john.frazer@nrahq.org>

To: Frazer, John <john.frazer@nrahq.org>

Sent: Monday, November 25, 2024 at 09:05:00 PM EST

Subject: OFFICIAL NOTICE: Executive Committee meeting November 29

Dear Board and Executive Council members:

Pursuant to Article VI Sec. 4 of the NRA Bylaws, President Barr has called a special meeting of the Executive Committee to take place on Friday, November 29, 2024, at 3:00 PM EST. The meeting shall be conducted by Microsoft Teams (with video conference or audio-only available). Login information is at the bottom of this message, and will also be sent in the form of a calendar invitation.

The object of the meeting will be to consider recent actions taken by the Executive Vice President with regard to the leadership of NRA-ILA and to take any appropriate action thereon.

Please note that this notice is being sent to all members of the Board and Executive Council pursuant to Article VI, section 4(c) of the NRA Bylaws.

Sincerely,

John Frazer

Secretary

National Rifle Association of America

11250 Waples Mill Rd.

Fairfax, VA 22030

(703) 267-1254

john.frazer@nrahq.org

The backstory is that Doug Hamlin moved to fire Randy Kozuch as head of NRA-ILA. Whether it was because he wanted to put his own person in the job or because Kozuch just wasn’t cutting it is left to speculation. Kozuch’s decision to have the NRA-PVF endorse Democrat Mary Perolta in Alaska over Republican Nick Begich caused much consternation with gun groups there and probably played a role in Hamlin’s decision. Kozuch, as is his right, appealed to members of the Board of Directors.

From all I’ve spoken with Kozuch is seen as a nice guy who has been around for many, many years. The question on whether he is effective is another story. I remember speaking with a board member back when Chris Cox was fired when there was speculation that Kozuch would get the position. He was adamant that this would be a horrible choice. Jason Ouimet eventually was named to replace Chris Cox.

I have heard that the intended replacement would be John Commerford who currently serves as the Chief of Operations at NRA-ILA. Commerford started with the NRA as an intern while still in college. He left for a couple of years to work with high-end shotgun company Krieghoff and then returned as a state liaison in 2013. He has been with NRA-ILA ever since. One criticism I have heard about Commerford is that he allowed himself to be used by Brewer’s team in the jury trial when they were trying to run the clock. Having read his testimony, it was mostly questions on the role of ILA, travel, and reimbursements. In other words, stuff that had been asked and answered earlier. This criticism was countered by a current director stating that Commerford was an employee and did what he was told.

According to the Bylaws (Art. V, Sec. 3b), it will take a supermajority of 75% of the Executive Committee to suspend Doug Hamlin with or without pay. This suspension would remain effective until the next regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors. The next regular meeting is scheduled for early January 2025. However, if the cabal plans to remove Doug permanently, they will need to provide him a 15 day notice in writing along with the preferred charges. It would take another supermajority of the board (75%) to remove him from the office. Some think the cabal has enough votes on the Executive Committee while others do not. We shall see.

All of these moves come before Judge Cohen has released his final order in the New York case. Frankly, I find this grossly foolish as their moves only reinforce the NYAG’s contention that the cabal must be removed from power. It is also foolish to think the NYAG and Judge Cohen are ignorant of the cabal’s machinations.

I’m sure that some of the cabal see their moves as a heroic defense of the NRA and its rights. I see it more as their last gasp showing that they can assert their power before they are swept away in the tide of reform. A slate of reform minded individuals are running in 2025 to replace them. In the interest of transparency which is one of the slate’s goals, I am one of those individuals. You can see all on them on our new website.

Finally, one of the big mistakes made by David Coy in calling for the Executive Committee meeting, was essentially to out the members of the cabal. Instead of sending his email out by BCC (blind carbon copy) to preserve anonymity, he named names. You can see this in a post of the original email by Willes Lee on Facebook here. I guess we should thank him for that.

The Two Camps Going Into the NRA Annual Meeting

As we head into the NRA Annual Meeting this week, the two camps are hard at work. On one side you have the reformers who just won a resounding victory in the 2024 Board of Directors election. They took 3 of the Top Five positions and 4 of the Top Ten if you count Buz Mills. Relative unknown Dennis Fusaro also won as did Rick Ector. Facing them are the Old Guard aka the Cabal who are fighting fiercely to keep control of the NRA and to keep their perks rolling in.

The Cabal is desperately trying to make sure that former Congressman Bob Barr and current 1st VP is elected as the next NRA President. From what I have heard, people like Sandy Froman have been calling current Board members “whipping the vote” for Barr. Indeed Barr himself has been making a number of these calls. They are willing to sacrifice David Coy as an officer if it will get Barr elected or so I’ve heard.

Even Bill Brewer is getting into the act. Many members may be unaware that then- Congressman Bob Barr had a negligent discharge while handling a Colt 1908 at a reception back in 2002. The pistol had been handed to him by now current Board member Bruce Widener who then was a lobbyist in Georgia. It is reported that Widener removed the magazine but failed to clear the chamber. Barr obeyed Cooper’s Rule No. 2 and kept the pistol pointed in a safe direction. However, he failed on Rules No. 1 and 3 and thus put a round through a glass door. Brewer, from what I understand, has contacted Widener about this probably to put the best possible spin on it for Barr.

The Cabal has organized a Board members only dinner on Thursday. While it is nice for them all to get together on our dime, you know who isn’t invited to that meeting? That’s right, most of the reformers. Jeff Knox, Phil Journey, Rocky Marshall, and Dennis Fusaro don’t become members of the Board until the adjournment of the Annual Meeting of Members on Saturday. Now I am not saying the purpose of this dinner is to put the arm on those attending to vote for Bill Barr but I’m sure many wavering members will be cornered.

Going into this weekend the reform camp is as organized as I’ve seen it in all the NRA meetings I’ve attended since 2010. They have coalesced to support Jim Wallace as the 76th Director which might surprise some people including me. I had perceived Jim as a go along, get along member under the thumb of Wayne. In 2020, he was the “official candidate” vying for the 76th Director spot against Frank Tait. However, Wayne is gone and I am told Jim has been working with Buz Mills on building support for reform.

Reformers are going into the Annual Meeting of Members loaded for bear. I have seen some of the proposed resolutions and they take no prisoners. One of the targets is Charles Cotton as well it should be given his abdication of doing his proper fiduciary duty while serving as Chair of the Audit Committee. Even now he is flying on Bill Brewer’s private jet which Stephen Gutowski got confirmed by Brewer’s firm. One might say this is somewhat equivalent to Wayne and Susan cruising the Caribbean on a vendor’s yacht. I will admit that I was pitched this story and avoided reporting on it as I felt I was being set up. That was an error on my part for which I have no regret.

While I have no official confirmation on a slate of officers offered up by the reformers or if there is even such a thing, I’d be surprised if there wasn’t one. I can’t imagine that they would willingly step aside and let the Cabal’s slate sail into office. If you look at the current NRA officers, all three are members of the failed Audit Committee. If that doesn’t scream change is needed, what does? Does anyone think Judge Cohen is just going sit back and do nothing if the NRA doesn’t make serious and substantive changes? Even more importantly, do you think the membership decline is going to be reversed without clear and convincing evidence that the NRA has righted the ship, booted the old leadership, puts members first, and is doing its fiduciary duty?

While I have discussed the two opposing camps, there is a third camp that needs to be addressed. The third camp is composed of those Board members that are neither part of the Old Guard nor are recognized as reformers. In the past they have kept quiet mostly out of fear of being ostracized as well as a fear of retribution. They saw the punishment dealt out to people like Tim Knight, Sean Maloney, and Esther Schneider in the form of being removed from committee assignments. More recently, Willes Lee was forced out of the leadership for reasons that have never been made public though it probably had to do with disagreeing with Bill Brewer over legal strategy.

The members of this third camp are going to have to decide where they stand as the time for keeping quiet and doing nothing is over. They can go along with the Cabal in the false hope that “steady as she goes” will be what is needed to right the sinking ship. Marion Hammer called this out as a false hope and has paid the price. She was right. This third camp has the chance to do the right thing supporting true fiduciary responsibility and accountability to members by backing the reformers. Taking this chance will not be easy for many of them but it is the only way forward if the NRA is to survive as both a viable entity and as a strong advocate for our Second Amendment rights. If a Jim Wallace can move from the third camp into the reform camp then so can they.