On a blog, Director Jeff Knox posted the following,
“JeffKnox
To answer Nick’s question, No, Mr. King and Mr. Schmeits do not automatically lose their positions on the Whittington and NRA Foundation boards due to their recent losses in the NRA Board elections. Whittington and the Foundation are related, but separate entities from the NRA itself.
While Directors and Trustees of those groups are elected by the NRA Board, and most of those Directors and Trustees are chosen from among NRA Directors, the NRA Board, and NRA Management, does not have direct oversight authority over them.
This is why I can confidently state that the NRA’s financial house is in order, but can’t directly address questions or concerns regarding the Foundation or Whittington, as they are not under direct control or authority of the NRA Board.
I’ve seen no significant evidence of any sort of financial chicanery from either group, beyond some questionable payments and loans from the Foundation to the NRA in the recent past, which were addressed in a separate lawsuit between the Foundation and the District of Columbia.
The focus of the NRA Board right now is on the NRA itself. Digging deeper into the NRA Foundation and the Whittington Center — to the degree we’re able — is tertiary to getting NRA matters lined out. One step at a time, and the steps must be taken in reasonable and workable order.
I believe Mr. King’s term as President of the Foundation is coming up for election, but I’m not, at this moment, sure of details regarding him or Mr. Schmeits.
Elsewhere, Nick criticizes Doug Hamlin for not taking action against Director Ken Blackwell.
Mr. Hamlin has no authority over Mr. Blackwell, or any other NRA Director. Mr. Hamlin is an employee, not the Emperor. Failure to recognize that distinction by the “Old Guard” with regard to Mr. LaPierre, is at the heart of mess we’re trying to clean up.
Mr. Blackwell was apparently involved in an organization which was receiving and distributing funds from USAID. It has been reported that some of those funds might have gone to anti-gun organizations. Information about any of that is still very sketchy, and we don’t know what other organizations any of those funds might have gone to, or what Mr. Blackwell’s role actually was.
The fact that there has not been any sort of formal investigation into these allegations by the NRA Board of Directors publicly announced, does not mean that the Board is ignoring the issue or covering anything up. It just means that we are not rushing to judgement or jumping on a “Burn the witch!” bandwagon, without first reviewing and vetting information.
As to the Direct question regarding the Board email system.
Yes, I have received a few emails forwarded through this system, and I’ve also received a number of emails that were cc’d to me directly, that I never received through the system.
I’ve raised the issue several times with Mr. Frazer since my election to the Board, and was very vocal about the matter for years prior to me being elected to the Board. After looking into it as a Director, I believe the system is currently not used much at all by our members, but I believe there is no excuse for it not being prompt and fully functional when members do choose to use it.
I will continue to pursue the matter.
I hope to see many of you in Atlanta.
Jeff”
I in turn, replied.
“nolson1404
Mr. Knox,
There’s a few problems with your post.
Regarding Whittington and the Foundation. If the NRA board, elects the directors and trustees of those two entities, then the NRA board is in fact IN CONTROL of both entities. If NRA BoD was not in control, then NRA BoD would not be electing the directors and trustees for Whittington and the Foundation.
Your saying the NRA books appear to be fine, isn’t good enough, because you haven’t seen all the books, from all three entities. Money could be moving to or from NRA/Whittington/Foundation via the National Firearms Museum, could it not? Or, certainly some other intermediary, which means, you only looking at NRA books, means nothing, as NRA books could very easily be made to look fine, but again, an intermediary could be involved, which again, you won’t know until you compare the books for NRA with Whittington and the Foundation.
And you admit there was money exchanged between NRA and the Foundation and you say that was addressed in the DC lawsuit. There was however a settlement. I was never able to get a clear answer from Mr. Tom King as to whether or not Foundation was in compliance with the settlement. So again, you can’t say, everythings fine now, until you compare NRA books alongside Foundation books and Whittington books.
Which then of course begs another question. IF YOU don’t have access to the National Rifle Association’s Whittington Center, nor to the National Rifle Association’s Foundation, then who does?The NRA BoD SHOULD have access to them, since notice the names? They’re both prefaced with National Rifle Association, and again, the NRA BoD elects the directors and trustees for both. NRA BoD is then in fact in control.
Further evidence that NRA, that’s the NRA HQ on Waples Mill Road, is in control of Whittington specifically, is when there were corruption allegations at Whittington, the NRA’s Chief Compliance Officer Mensinger went to “investigate”. Now, if NRA was not in control, of Whittington, then why would the NRA’s Chief Compliance Officer head out to Raton, New Mexico to conduct an investigation into corruption allegations?
You of course remember NRA, that’s the NRA HQ and Whittington had a strange arrangment, where, Whittington would send NRA money, and NRA would pay Whittington employees. Is that arrangement still going on?
Do you still stand by your claim that NRA BoD and officers do not have direct oversight of the National Rifle Associations Whittington Center and the National Rifle Associations Foundation?”
“nolson1404
Mr. Knox,
Regarding Mr. Ken Blackwell, you keep trying to say there’s nothing there. Yet, he was the vice chair of an organization which through a money laundering scheme gave $21million in taxpayer funds to anti gun groups. You say “might” have gone to anti gun groups. Yet, your employer, Ammoland, has a very different story, are you disputing your employer’s reporting?
Are you disputing these three paragraphs, from the above linked article, from your employer, Ammoland?
“The Consortium for Election and Political Process Strengthening is responsible for filtering over $21,000,000 of taxpayer money to anti-gun groups. The group was founded in 1995 by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), the International Republican Institute (IRI), and the National Democratic Institute (NDI). Its mission was supposed to be to strengthen the democratic process. The group was supposed to be non-partisan, but the funding of anti-gun groups tells a different story.
IFES runs most of the CEPPS. It is also heavily funded by USAID. It was founded in response to President Reagan’s call to strengthen democracy. Although a Republican founded it, the organization’s current co-chair is s William Carlton Eacho III, who served as Barack Obama’s ambassador to Austria.
The second co-chair is Ken Blackwell, (if this name is familiar it is because he currently serves on your NRA Board!?) a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.””
“nolson1404
Mr. Knox,
Further, regarding Mr. Blackwell an NRA director at least for a few more days, and yeah I know CEO Hamlin is not an “emperor”, he’s not smart enough to be one. But, the CEO, of the National Rifle Association, being alerted to the article, from your employer, Ammoland, that says the group that Ken Blackwell’s vice chair of, has given $21million in taxpayer funds to anti gun groups, and CEO Hamlin’s response is “I don’t know what to make of the Ken Blackwell thing.”… You find that an acceptable response from the man who’s title is Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Rifle Association?
I’m not sure what’s more worrisome, CEO Hamlin’s response to me when questioned, or your excuses for his in action.
Further, you failed to mention that Chief Compliance Officer Mensinger was also alerted to the Ken Blackwell problem, and refused to investigate the matter. I even urged him to conduct an investigation to find out if Ken Blackwell misappropriated any NRA funds. CCO Mensinger still refused.
And I attempted to alert the NRA BoD to this matter, which, was of no use, since the member to director email system does not work. I have asked you, previously to tell us how many emails you’ve gotten that were forwarded to you via the NRA BoD email address. You refuse. I even asked you to show, the emails I’ve sent, only mine, so that way, there’s no potential confidentiality issues. Again you refuse.
Also, I must remind you, that you told me Sec. Frazer was instituting a new portal system that would help smooth things out. Yet, that contradicts what CCO Mensinger told me, he said the portal is not for member to director communications but instead for something else. Even a reader here, on a previous blog thread, said the same thing.
Further, your story’s changed regarding the email system. You used to say it didn’t work. Now you say it does, but not well. Yet before remember this “portal system”.
Which is it Mr. Knox? Does the member to director email system work? Or not work? This kinda sorta maybe foolishness you keep delivering is on par with saying a woman’s “kinda” pregnant. It’s just stupid. The system either works, or doesn’t. Just like a woman’s either pregnant, or not pregnant.
Further let me remind you, that Sec. Frazer was found guilty of falsifying statements on NRA documents. Yet, the BoD put’s him in charge of member to director email communications? Why Sec. Frazer wasn’t fired, is, just stupid beyond words. Yet, CCO Mensinger took Sec. Frazer’s word that the system does work, but there’s “some policy issues that need to be worked out”, and that Frazer would “Address them with board leadership”.
CCO Mensinger grew furious with me, when I pointed out Sec. Frazer’s been proven in court to be a liar, and that CCO Mensinger should conduct an investigation into the member to director email system immediately.
So Mr. Knox, how many emails have you been sent by the official system from members? Why don’t you share mine, either publicly, or (you have my email address) with me privately. It’s called transparency Mr. Knox. The NRA’s word on anything doesn’t mean jack.”
Mr. Knox, April 23, 2025 at 1:24 pm
On a final note, where is the National Rifle Association’s Board of Directors? Where’s the Audit Committee? Why don’t they look into the things I’ve mentioned? Why does the board not care about member to director communications? Why does the board allow a proven in court liar to remain employed as Secretary? Why does the board keep a Chief Compliance Officer employed who never investigates anything? Why does the board allow a magazine editor to be CEO?
Where is the board? Yeah, you like to call WLP an “emperor”, and say Hamlin’s not an “emperor”. But who hired, and rehired WLP for 30 some years? The board. And who hired a magazine editor to be CEO? The board. Who hired Sec. Frazer and CCO Mensinger? The board.
If the board is majority reformer as you and the webmaster and others have said, why can’t we, the membership communicate with the board? Why can’t we get an accounting the the National Firearms Museum’s collections by a third party audit firm? Why doesn’t the board investigate corruption… Yes, Blackwell, yes Whittington, yes, Foundation.
Is the CEO still allowed to auction off firearms from the museum as use the proceeds as he sees fit?
Remember that email I sent, to over 30 addresses, both official NRA, and non NRA? You were sent that email, and you never wrote me back. Transparency? Reform? Yet here, and on Mr. Codrea’s blog, you dance around certain things, and then make lots of excuses.
In case you forgot, and in case anyone else wants to see, here,
https://waronguns.com/what-is-the-national-rifle-association/“
“nolson1404
And here, my email’s been called by some to be “actionable libel”.
A Funhttps://waronguns.com/a-funny-thing-happened-on-the-way-to-the-forum/
Feel free to read, and respond back at your leisure Mr. Knox. I’ve got time, the NRA… RICO, discovery, bleeding members and money, suing Ack Mac AGAIN, suing Under Wild Skies AGAIN… I’ve got time. The NRA doesn’t.
And as I’m sure you know, I’ve received no official NRA response to my email. Maybe you, as the leader of “The Hard Corps” and an NRA “reformer” director, could do something about that?…. Maybe?”
“nolson1404
Mr. Knox, regarding your cleverly hidden response to me on the previous thread, which was placed so I could not reply, let me remind you of what YOU WROTE ME on April 17th 2025, about this “portal”…
“For the record, here is the portion of my reply to Nick regarding the Board email system:
As to the Board email system:
Member communication with the Board has been a problem for a long time, and it’s something I’ve personally raised hell about on multiple occasions.
I’ve spoken again with John Frazer about the issues and I’m hopeful that we can finally get things working better. We have recently been transitioning to a new portal system for Board communications, and I think John has figured out a way to make this work in that system.
Having a functional means for members to communicate with Directors remains a priority for me, and I will keep pressing the issue.
—————————-
That’s it.
I don’t see how that supposedly conflicts with Bob’s reply saying that the system works, but still needs improvement.
Jeff””
“nolson1404
Due to censorship, my comment’s been sent to moderation land.
It would be nice if the CEO, CCO, Audit and Ethic’s Committee’s could take the time to conduct investigations into the above mentioned allegations, as opposed to automatic denials, or be totally MIA.
Regarding Blackwell, Mr. Knox knew he was resigning as early as Feb 18th as evidenced by his comment, here, second from the bottom… if this will post…
Liked by 1 person“
Sources, https://nraindanger.wordpress.com/2025/04/22/readying-for-the-annual-nra-meeting-part-two/
So who has oversight and control over the Whittington Center and NRA Foundation? Clearly the NRA BoD, if they do in fact elect the leaders of both entities. And if NRA HQ did not have oversight, and control, why would the NRA’s CCO Mensinger go down to conduct interviews at Whittington?
We must have a forensic audit of ALL the entities books. Until then, anything anyone says about the NRA’s books being in good order is either guess work or hope.
Mr. Knox has not replied for clarification on any of the above.
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