Tim Knight

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Open Letter From Former NRA Director Tim Knight

February 22, 2024 by 3 Comments

Below is an open letter from former NRA Director Tim Knight. I am publishing it with his permission.

Image from knight4nra.com

Tim along with fellow directors Esther Schneider and Sean Maloney are named as whistleblowers (Question 9b on verdict form) in the current New York trial who suffered retaliation. They spoke out about alleged financial misconduct and called for a review of the billings by Bill Brewer and his firm. As a result, he and the other two were stripped of their committee assignments, rebuffed when they sought information, and were prevented from doing their fiduciary duties. This led to their resignations on August 1, 2019.

I don’t think it needs repeating but I’ll say it anyway. Tim is one of the good guys. He helped lead the grassroots campaign in Colorado that led to the recall of two anti-gun politicians. Like another famous Tennessean, he answered the call from another state and went to help in their fight. He is a grassroots activist who has always recognized that his job was to serve the members of the NRA.

The verdict in the NY vs. NRA case is due shortly. Although I believe the case had some political motivations behind it based on the words of the New York Attorney General when she was running for office, I don’t think NRA members should dismiss the grave concerns revealed in what is now several court cases.

I, along with a few others directors, expressed concerns over the misappropriation of funds both internally and then later publicly in 2019. We recognized who our boss actually was:  our fellow members who were faithfully paying their dues. We did not believe the NRA Board and management were holding to the mission of the Association nor were they being transparent about expenses. Every NRA Director has a duty to the members, the law and the NRA’s mission statement. Several of us were dismissed from our committees and accused of disloyalty towards the NRA for raising our financial concerns. Most Board members were too scared to stand up to Wayne and his cronies, especially Marion Hammer. Other Board members were part of the management cabal themselves and had no intention of changing a thing. So, the Board circled their wagons and remained silent. They were unwilling or unable to speak up or divided on where their loyalties lay.

The current NRA Board has failed in its duty to the NRA members, and I think that every single Board member who hasn’t openly spoken up about reform and responsibility should resign immediately. Our Association deserves bold, honorable and honest Board members focused on their legal responsibilities and on the members who elected them. No more should they focus on those who can dole out favors, vacations, car rides, consulting fees and other graft. We need to stop electing the silent, the complicit or those who hope to be “trusted remainders” when this all blows over. Board members who are 2nd Amendment hero’s, politicians or captains of industry might once have been effective for our association. They are no longer effective and need to resign as well.

To fix our association, we need a much smaller board with term limits as well as a significant revision of the structure the board operates under. Strict disclosure rules for Board members and management needs to be enforced and shared with NRA members during the annual meeting. This information should be disclosed to everyone during the main members business meeting that is open to the public. 

I trust the members who make up the association and in the mission statement that should always keep it focused. We need new leadership and a new board now. If both do not change, the slow degradation of our once great association will do more damage to our civil rights, hunting culture, gun safety education and competitions that we can ill afford. My fellow members, if the court does not grant you the remedy you think is deserved, please stop supporting the do nothing’s, ne’er do wells, and the faded hero’s. If we want our Republic back, let’s start with our association!

I look forward to the day when the NRA once again, through hard work and results, regains the trust of millions of law abiding gun owners. We are stronger when we stand together as hunters, competitors, enthusiasts, advocates and educators.

  • Timothy Knight

NRA Board of Directors 2015-2019

Citizen of the Republic, Constitutionalist, National 2a Advocate, Founder‘13 CO Recalls. School Safety Proponent, Effective Grassroots Campaigner.

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Julie Golob Makes Four

August 12, 2019 by 3 Comments

Competitive shooter and NRA Board of Directors member Julie Golob announced today that she had resigned from the Board. She said the decision was the best “for me and my family.” Other than that, she did not go into any specifics.

Dear NRA Members,

I gave my notice to NRA President Carolyn Meadows, Secretary John Frazer, and Directors that I have resigned my position on the National Rifle Association Board of Directors.

My intentions in running as well as serving in this volunteer position are directly aligned with the purposes and objectives of the organization. I am proud to have had the opportunity to represent the members of the National Rifle Association but I can no longer commit to fulfilling the duties of a director.

This was not a decision I made lightly. I apologize to those members who have supported me that I will not be completing the full 3-year term. I also feel this is the best decision for me and my family.

I wish the director who fills my vacancy and the rest of the board nothing but success. I will absolutely continue to support the NRA’s programs and sports as a proud benefactor member and active participant in the preservation of freedom.

Sincerely yours,
Julie Golob

 Julie was only one of three people I endorsed in 2018 for the Board of Directors. The other two were Tim Knight and Adam Kraut. As covered already, Tim has resigned from the Board and Adam declined the chance to fill one of the open positions. I’m not sure what this says about the power of my endorsements.

We may never know Julie’s motivations for leaving the Board and it is her choice to make them known if she so wishes. I do foresee further resignations from the Board especially given the most recent subpoena from Attorney General Letitia James to 90 current and former Board members. If I were an attorney – and I’m not – giving risk management advice to one of the deep-pocketed members of the Board, I’d say you must protect what you’ve earned and it is time to go. You can still support the organization in other ways but you need to get the heck out of there.

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Three NRA Directors Resign Effective Immediately

August 1, 2019 by

Three members of the NRA Board of Directors resigned today effective immediately. They are Tim Knight, Sean Maloney, and Esther Schneider. The leadership had made it so that they could not effectively serve as members of the board. Tim Knight told me yesterday he couldn’t even get the Board of Directors’ counsel to return emails from him.

I don’t know Esther that well but she has raised large amounts of money for the NRA. However, I do know Tim and Sean. They were stalwarts of the grass roots and had devoted immense amounts of time before and after being elected to the board to grass roots efforts. Both Tim and Sean packed their bags and headed to Colorado to help with the recall movement which succeeded in removing Senate President John Morse and Senator Angela Giron from office.

In normal times, the next three people who were not elected in April would be appointed to fill those empty Director slots. The three would be Dave Butz, Adam Kraut, and Richard Figueroa.  However, these are not normal times. Rob Pincus reports on Facebook that Adam Kraut has “said that he will not take a seat under the current circumstances.” That would move Paul Babaz, President of the Safari Club International, into the third spot.

I know their resignation from the Board of Directors won’t stop their activism on behalf of the Second Amendment and gun rights. Expect them to remain in the forefront of the fight. It just won’t be as directors of the NRA Board.

The resignation letter is reprinted below:

August 1, 2019


President Carolyn Meadows
The National Rifle Association of America
11250 Waples Mill Road
Fairfax, VA 22030


Secretary John Frazier
The National Rifle Association of America
11250 Waples Mill Road
Fairfax, VA 22030


The National Rifle Association of America Board of Directors
The National Rifle Association of America
11250 Waples Mill Road
Fairfax, VA 22030


Ladies and Gentlemen:


It is with profound disappointment that each of us hereby tenders our resignation from the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association, effective immediately.


We proudly agreed to serve as board members of the NRA because of our steadfast belief in the Association’s core mission of protecting the Second Amendment and its leadership’s commitment to serving its members with honesty, integrity and transparency. While our belief in the NRA’s mission remains as strong today as ever, our confidence in the NRA’s leadership has been shattered.


As Board members, we are duty bound to act with care and in the best interests of the NRA and its mission. Proper discharge of that duty compels us to speak up and take action when we become aware of matters within the Association that run counter to its mission, governing principles, policies, or the law. Over the past several months, there have been numerous, highly-publicized allegations of impropriety leveled against the Association and certain members of its executive leadership team. In exercising our oversight responsibilities as Board Members, we have sought information and requested certain actions be taken with respect to these allegations, only to be rebuffed at every turn. We had expected – or at least hoped— that the executive leadership team would recognize the seriousness of these allegations and work with us in a constructive and transparent manner to address our concerns and minimize any further harm to the Association. Instead, we have been stonewalled, accused of disloyalty, stripped of committee assignments and denied effective counsel necessary to properly discharge our responsibilities as Board members.


As a result of the foregoing, we are left with no other choice but to resign as members of the Board of Directors. In doing so, however, we hope that our action will serve as a catalyst for much needed reform within the NRA so that it can return its focus to the mission which we remain unwaveringly committed — protecting the Constitution of the United States and especially, the Second Amendment.


Sincerely,


Esther Schneider
Sean Maloney
Timothy Knight

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The Letter

July 23, 2019 by

Four members of the NRA Board of Directors have sent a letter to the Board and Officers calling for an independent investigation and review of the following:

  1. Allegations of financial misconduct
  2. Review of the billings of Brewer, Attorneys and Counselors
  3. Creation of an outside, independent committee tasked for investigating the issues surrounding potential financial misconduct and the Brewer billing. This committee would then report back to the Board of Directors its findings.

The members who sent this letter were Sean Maloney, Tim Knight, Esther Schneider, and LtCol. Robert Brown. The issues raised mirror the letter from former NRA President Oliver North sent on April 25th to the Board where he announced the formation of a crisis management committee. They also correlate with the joint North-Childress letter of April 18th which questioned in detail the billings of the Brewer firm.

All four of these Board members had been purged from their committee assignments in whole or in part.

The full letter is below:

July 22, 2019


President Carolyn Meadows
The National Rifle Association of America
11250 Waples Mill Road
Fairfax, VA 22030


Secretary John Frazier
The National Rifle Association of America
11250 Waples Mill Road
Fairfax, VA 22030


The National Rifle Association of America Board of Directors
The National Rifle Association of America
11250 Waples Mill Road
Fairfax, VA 22030


Friends and Patriots of the NRA


RE: Independent investigations


Dear Folks,



Continued leaks, accusations, and counter accusations have left a haze of conjecture surrounding our Association. It is our duty as a duly elected Board of Directors to dispel this cloud, right the Association’s path and restore the trust of our members.


Because of our dedication and loyalty to the NRA, the Answer and Counterclaim filed on behalf of Oliver North, in the case of National Rifle Association v. Oliver North, compels us as Board Members – legally bound by our fiduciary duty of care – to act. To ensure that we are fully and accurately informed about the financial health of the Association, we must make the following requests.


First, that the NRA engage outside professionals to conduct an independent, internal investigation and confidential audit into the allegations of financial misconduct. Second, that the NRA conduct an outside, independent review of the millions of dollars in payments to Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors for legal fees. Third, pursuant to NRA Bylaw Article IV, Section 2, Board of Directors, Powers and Duties, that an Outside Independent Special Committee be formed, tasked with investigating and addressing the problems identified above, and required to report its findings and recommendations to the entire Board of Directors.


With this degree of scrutiny and transparency, the Board can fulfill our legal obligations, remove all doubt regarding our Association’s direction, and allow us to return to our mission of protecting our Second Amendment.


Yours for freedom,


/S/ Sean Maloney
/S/ Timothy Knight
/S/ Esther Schneider
/S/ Lt. Col. Robert K. Brown, USAR (Ret.)

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My Endorsements For The NRA Board Of Directors

February 2, 2018 by 5 Comments

Ballots for the NRA Board of Directors have been mailed out in the February issues of American Rifleman, American Hunter, First Freedom, and Shooting Illustrated. These have only gone out to Life Members and annual members with five or more years of continuous membership as they are the only people eligible to vote in the Board election.

I have received my ballot and you can see how I’m voting in the picture below. If you look closely, you will see I’m only voting for three people. I’m a strong believer in bullet or targeted voting. Voting for up to 25 people dilutes the power of your vote and makes your top choices equal with your bottom choices.

This has been an unusually contentious election thanks to those in the old guard like Marion Hammer. I want to explain why I voted for these three deserving individuals and only these three. This is not to say that some of the others on this ballot would make good choices but rather that these three need to be on the board.

First, and I’ll be perfectly blunt about this, none of these three were endorsed by Marion Hammer. The fact that they weren’t endorsed is an endorsement in and of itself. I was greatly surprised that someone with the accomplishments of a Julie Golob was passed over for inclusion Ms. Hammer’s endorsements. This is especially true when you have a political hack like Grover Norquist endorsed who has only a marginal connection to the Second Amendment community.

Second, both Adam Kraut and Tim Knight have grassroots support as evidenced by the fact that they were both nominated by petition. Tim sought the petition nomination even though he was nominated by the Nominating Committee. Tim’s grassroots efforts in Colorado led to the recall of anti-gun Senate President John Morse and Sen. Angela Giron. He, along with fellow board member Sean Maloney, were on the ground helping to organize the recall and both would later be elected to the board. As to Adam, I was one of the people helping to gather signatures for him as I gotten to know him at the 2017 NRA Annual Meeting and afterwards. While Julie was nominated by the Nominating Committee, I think she has significant grassroots support given her past outreach efforts especially to women shooters.

Third, they are all relatively young when compared to the rest of the board. Adam is in his 30s, Julie is 40, and Tim is in his late 40s. If the NRA is going to appeal to Gun Culture v2.0, they are going to have to appeal to a younger demographic and you don’t do that by having a board composed of people my age (60+).

Fourth, both Adam and Julie are masters of the use of social media. Both use Instagram to get their message out and both have podcasts or YouTube channels related to firearm topics. Julie has JulieG Radio while Adams contributes the Legal Brief to The Gun Collective.

Fifth, I think these three will help return the NRA to the reforms engendered by the Cincinnati Revolt of 1977. None are part of the old guard that helped neuter that changes in the NRA wrought by the Cincinnati Revolt as organized by Harlon Carter and Neal Knox. Adam, especially, has publicly promoted bylaw changes that would introduce modified term limits, encourage attendance at board meetings, and provide a means for celebrities to help the gun rights movement without having to serve on the board.

Finally, all three are accomplished in their own right. Rather than rehash their accomplishments, you can read about Tim, Julie, and Adam on their own web pages.