Gregory Kielma • January 19, 2024
THE NRA...Trial...Who's Telling The truTH?
Former NRA Officials Admit In Court What They Denied For Years; NRA Board Member Calls for New Leadership
By
John Boch
January 19, 2024
For most folks, the threat of felony criminal perjury charges tends to encourage honesty, even from those who dismiss or ignore their fiduciary responsibility to act honorably and truthfully to an organization’s members. Hence, why as the New York corruption trial continues, all manner of improprieties previous repeatedly denied in the past to the NRA’s members by many of Wayne LaPierre’s cronies have been revealed so freely to the court.
All told, the corruption scandals within the National Rifle Association have cost that organization many tens of millions of dollars in donations. It has also cost about two million members in the last several years, according to NRA Board Member Buz Mills. Mills wrote in an open letter to his fellow NRA board members that it needs new leadership immediately, not the coronation of current President Charles Cotton as LaPierre’s replacement.
Bloomberg’s “Everytown” has day-by-day reports on the trial. Frankly, their reporting seems mostly right down the middle, better than the mainstream media.
Sunshine typically makes the best disinfectant, and there’s a metric ton of dirty laundry coming out in the trial. Just scanning through those, the day former NRA-ILA head Chris Cox testified had some interesting revelations.
Cox said that he battled with longtime NRA vendor Ackerman McQueen. He believed the messaging Ackerman was presenting for the NRA was “tone deaf.” Cox indicated that LaPierre was a fierce advocate for Ackerman and that to go against Ackerman was perceived as going against LaPierre. Cox characterized Ackerman as “untouchable.”
He testified about concerns he had about the NRA hiring “incompetent people,” citing chief of staff Josh Powell as one example and saying Powell had a background of failures. Cox also testified about losing confidence in certain people at the NRA-ILA. He said that when he informed LaPierre of those feelings, LaPierre would often then hire the individual in question at the NRA “mothership.” Cox specifically named Andrew Arulanandam – the interim successor to LaPierre – as one such individual.
Powell, of course, rolled on the other defendants in an agreement with the New York Attorney General’s office. He will testify against the other defendants in exchange for limiting his financial liability to $100,000. Given the numbers getting tossed around at this trial, he might have saved himself millions in restitution and penalties.
It also seems as though Chris Cox, a very sharp man who worked hard to rise into leadership, didn’t think highly of Powell. Or of Andrew Arulanandam, the man appointed (selected?) as the interim successor to LaPierre.
Cox became alarmed at the amount of borrowing at the NRA.
Cox testified that he did not believe that routing of NRA executive expenses through Ackerman McQueen was necessary for security, noting that if it had been, then presumably he, as the second-most public face of the organization, would have had the same setup.
The “security” argument might sound good to those who don’t know any better. For the rest of us “security” sounds a lot more like “keep it off the books.”
With respect to NRA attorney Bill Brewer, Cox said that he was concerned about Brewer because he came from outside the Second Amendment legal community and had given money to candidates that supported gun safety reforms. He called Brewer’s bills to the NRA “crippling.” Cox supported the efforts from former NRA board president Oliver North for an audit of the invoices from the Brewer firm.
But Bill Brewer was LaPierre’s buddy. Or perhaps he knew where the rhetorical bodies were buried.
In his testimony, Cox spoke of when he discovered that LaPierre had billed the NRA approximately $250,000 for Zegna suits, saying “It was one of the final straws for me” and “I was floored, I was extremely disgusted.” He testified that he wrote a letter of resignation after finding out about the suits, and gave it to Oliver North. Cox testified that people close to LaPierre viewed him as a threat because if he replaced LaPierre, their lucrative relationships at the NRA might end.
“Because if Cox replaced LaPierre their lucrative relationships at the NRA might end.” And there you have it.
TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE
NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA
So, now we are all looking towards New York and Justice Cohen’s courtroom. Our attention is diverted here while chicanery continues in Fairfax.
The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is at a watershed moment in its 153rd year. Our leadership has admitted in courts and depositions to misappropriation of donor’s funds and unauthorized use of assets. They have admitted condoning the misuse of donor funds by others employed by the NRA. The leadership has for years abused their position and trust placed in them by our members and benefactors. The Board of Directors (BOD) is solely responsible for this victimization of the members.
Thanks to the New York Attorney General, we are halfway to fixing our organization, bringing the NRA up to par with other non-profit special interest groups.
The judge will hold the victimizers responsible, and they will have to account for their deeds.
Meanwhile, in Fairfax the selected leadership is scheming to continue the abuse suffered over the last few decades instead of following the bylaws for the succession of the Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer (EVP). The selected leadership wants a special election to install the enabler and facilitator of all the previous chicanery. None other than our duly selected President, he is the man more responsible than any other for permitting our selected leadership to rampantly run roughshod over our membership and benefactors.
As the chair of the Audit Committee for many years, Charles Cotton was responsible for holding our employees accountable and ensuring their conduct beyond reproach. Our chair and “moral compass” approved every single act of malfeasance brought to the committee for decades, multiple acts approved retroactively, months and years after the fact.
When restitution was mandated, a bonus was awarded the miscreants including enough money to pay the restitution. This bonus also included enough for the miscreant to have the cash to pay the taxes on his misappropriation. Talk about rewarding bad behavior!!
Again, I emphasize, it was not miscreant’s money, and it was not the facilitator’s money! It was the MONEY OF OUR MEMBERS and the MONEY provided by the BENEVOLENCE OF OUR DONORS. There is something deeply wrong when you continually permit and encourage this serial abuse.
Also do not forget spearheading the deceit and lying to us about filing bankruptcy that the judge called “a fraud.” The BOD was never advised we needed to file for bankruptcy, nor was it ever justified to the board. We read it in the papers.
As we violate the bylaws again – accepting, justifying and participating in some kind of sham election to make the selected president our EVP.
Is the principal facilitator of the misappropriation of tens of millions of dollars (members and donors’ money) causing the hundreds of millions of dollars of legal fees (again members and donors’ money) really have any business with access to the treasury?
Does he have any right to represent any moral, honest person or organization?
NO!
The normal, conventional way this type of business is conducted:
1. Select a search committee of business professionals from the BOD, selected from the floor by the BOD,
2. Retain professional employment agencies to recruit, screen and interview potential candidates,
3. Committee shall interview candidates,
4. BOD meet and greet,
5. BOD votes to select a candidate,
6. Committee sets forth terms and conditions of employment contract.
Now we have a professional to run the business of a world-class organization, in accordance with applicable laws, customs and traditions. Oversight will be provided by a professional BOD congruent with the by-laws in effect prior to ceding all monetary responsibility to the EVP. (circa 2015)
Next we hire a celebrity “FACE” of the NRA as a spokesperson with no access to funds. Using a similar process as finding an EVP.
This is how a professional Board of Directors of a world class not-for-profit begins to heal itself.
We have an opportunity to carefully choose to correct the path we are on. We have the opportunity to recover all of the membership that has abandoned us over these issues (2 million members +/-). We have the opportunity to recover the trust of our most benevolent donors. We have an opportunity to recover the respect of our industry and of the American people. There is no downside to doing this correctly.
Let’s not squander this opportunity, we must move forward smartly and with all the courage of the champions of freedom.
Owen Buz Mills
Director
National Rifle Association of America
Time will tell how this trial and the struggle over who will lead America’s oldest civil rights organization plays out. One thing’s certain, NRA members who follow this trial have discovered that most of the allegations levelled by whistleblowers in years past, adamantly denied by LaPierre loyalists, were not only true, but just the tip of the iceberg.
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Being Prepared for the 2026 Hurricane Season By Gregory Kielma, Tactical K Training & Firearms The 2026 Hurricane Season is shaping up to be another year where preparation isn’t optional it’s essential. Florida has seen record heat, rising insurance pressures, rapid population growth, and increasingly unpredictable storm behavior. None of that is meant to create fear. It’s meant to reinforce a simple truth: preparedness gives you control, confidence, and options when the weather turns. Whether you’re protecting a home, a business, or a family, the goal is the same build layers of readiness before the first storm forms. Start With Awareness and a Plan Storms don’t give you time to “figure it out later.” Your plan should be written, practiced, and known by everyone in the household or workplace. Key elements of a solid plan: Where will you go if evacuation becomes necessary Multiple routes out of your area A communication plan if cell networks fail A designated out‑of‑state contact A plan for pets, elderly family members, and anyone with medical needs For businesses, include: Who secures the building Who handles digital backups Who communicates closures and reopening A plan removes panic. It replaces it with action. Strengthen Your Home or Business Before the First Storm Florida structures take a beating every year. Small improvements now prevent major losses later. Exterior protection: Inspect your roof for loose shingles or soft spots Clear gutters and drainage paths Trim trees and remove dead limbs Install or test shutters Reinforce garage doors—one of the most common failure points Interior protection: Surge protection for critical electronics Elevate valuables and important documents Know how to shut off water, power, and gas If you own a business, walk your property as if you were a storm: What can break? What can blow away? What can flood? Fix those points now. Build a Realistic, Usable Supply Kit For Your Home or Business A hurricane kit isn’t about stockpiling, it’s about independence. After a major storm, help may take hours or days to reach your area. For homes and families: Water: 1 gallon per person per day (minimum 3–7 days) Non‑perishable food Medications and medical supplies Flashlights, headlamps, and batteries Battery bank for phones First aid kit Copies of important documents Cash in small bills Tools, gloves, tarps, duct tape For businesses: Backup power for essential systems Printed employee contact lists Hard copies of insurance documents A plan for securing inventory and equipment Preparedness isn’t about fear it’s about not being dependent on luck. Protect Your Digital Life In 2026, digital readiness is just as important as physical readiness. Back up important files to the cloud and an external drive Photograph your home, business, and valuables for insurance Store digital copies of IDs, insurance policies, and receipts Keep chargers, power banks, and a small solar panel if possible When the power goes out, your digital preparation keeps you moving. Understand Post‑Storm Safety Most injuries happen after the storm, not during it. Be cautious with: Downed power lines Flooded roads Carbon monoxide from generators Unstable structures Contaminated water If you evacuated, don’t rush home. Wait for official clearance. Your safety comes first. Mindset: Prepared, Not Paranoid Preparedness is a discipline, not a reaction. It’s the same mindset we teach in every Tactical K class awareness, planning, and responsible action. A hurricane is a natural event. Your response is a choice. When you prepare early, you protect: Your family Your property Your business Your peace of mind And you set an example for your community. Kielma’s Parting Shot The 2026 Hurricane Season will bring challenges, just like every season. But Floridians are resilient, and preparation is part of our way of life. Start now. Strengthen your home, your business, and your plan. Build your layers of safety before the first storm forms. If you need help building a plan, creating a checklist, or preparing your family or business, Tactical K Training is here to support you with practical, real‑world guidance.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced to 87 Months in Trafficking Nine Firearms, Including to Buyer Who Said He Was ‘At War’ Thursday, April 30, 2026 U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia WASHINGTON - Brandon Smith, 34, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 87 months in prison for conspiring to traffic at least nine firearms to a prohibited buyer over the course of six months, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “Brandon Smith was already on supervised probation for a violent felony when he chose to traffic firearms, and he continued even after being told the buyer intended to use them for violence,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Over the course of six months, he arranged the sale of at least nine guns—including one with an obliterated serial number—to a prohibited individual. This was not a momentary lapse in judgment, but a sustained and deliberate effort to arm someone who could not legally possess firearms. My office remains committed to holding accountable those who endanger our communities by trafficking illegal guns.” On Jan. 9, 2026, Smith pleaded guilty before Judge Howell to conspiracy to commit trafficking in firearms. In addition to the 87-month prison term, Judge Howell ordered Smith to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a 108-month prison term. According to court papers, beginning in November 2023, ATF opened an investigation after a confidential source reported that Smith, then on supervised probation for a violent felony, was actively advertising firearms for sale by texting photographs of guns to prospective buyers, including individuals with prior felony convictions. During the next six months, Smith sold or arranged the sale of nine firearms to a buyer on six separate occasions. During the transactions, Smith sold his own personal carry firearm on multiple occasions when a supplier failed to deliver, then purchased a replacement for himself afterward. In early January 2024, as Smith and the buyer discussed an upcoming transaction, the buyer told Smith he needed the firearms because he was “at war” after his cousin had been killed. Smith proceeded with the sale. The buyer had also told Smith he was serving a criminal justice sentence at the time of the transactions. Smith acknowledged that he, too, was “on papers.” Smith arranged a total of six transactions from Nov. 30, 2023, through May 30, 2024, resulting in the sale of nine firearms. At least one of the firearms had its serial number obliterated. On Oct. 26, 2024, MPD officers conducted a traffic stop on the 1600 block of 16th Street SE and found Smith in the front passenger seat of a parked vehicle. Officers observed open containers of alcohol and discovered a satchel at his feet. Inside the satchel, in plain view, was a loaded Glock Model 19X 9mm handgun with a round in the chamber and 16 additional rounds in the magazine. The bag also contained a bank card and government-issued identification in Smith’s name. Smith has prior convictions for Simple Assault (2011), Attempted Robbery (2013), and Robbery and Possession of a Firearm during a Crime of Violence (2016), for which he was sentenced to five years in prison. He was serving a term of supervised probation from the 2016 conviction at the time of the firearms trafficking conspiracy. This investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Office, and the Metropolitan Police Department. The matter was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan M. Horan. Convicted Felon Sentenced to 87 Months in Trafficking
