Deleted
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Apr 18, 2024 14:28:50 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2019 13:24:44 GMT
"...a small group of N.R.A. executives, contractors, and venders has extracted hundreds of millions of dollars from the nonprofit’s budget, through gratuitous payments, sweetheart deals, and opaque financial arrangements.
Marc Owens, who served for ten years as the head of the Internal Revenue Service division that oversees tax-exempt enterprises, recently reviewed these records. “The litany of red flags is just extraordinary,” he said. “The materials reflect one of the broadest arrays of likely transgressions that I’ve ever seen. There is a tremendous range of what appears to be the misuse of assets for the benefit of certain venders and people in control.” Owens added, “Those facts, if confirmed, could lead to the revocation of the N.R.A.’s tax-exempt status”—without which the organization could likely not survive.
The 2017 tax filings, prepared at Cummins’s direction, gave the first full accounting of how much the N.R.A. was paying Ackerman McQueen and its affiliates: $40.9 million, or about twelve per cent of total expenses that year. Federal regulations require very limited disclosure of how much nonprofit organizations pay their venders, so in previous years the N.R.A.’s filings had not disclosed payments to Ackerman’s affiliates, or any payments that were meant to reimburse expenses. These omissions were probably substantial. The 2017 filing acknowledged a payment of $5.6 million to the Mercury Group, which, despite years of close association with the N.R.A., hadn’t been mentioned in any previous filings.
Cummins explained to the board that Ackerman and other venders were generating enormous expenses and getting paid through multiple entities, in a way that obscured payments. One such arrangement involved a company called Membership Marketing Partners, which provides direct-mail fund-raising. In 2017, the N.R.A. paid M.M.P. nearly twelve million dollars. At the same time, it directed almost eight hundred thousand dollars to a firm called Allegiance Creative Group, for “fundraising counsel.” Allegiance doesn’t have a Web site, but, according to state filings, at least ten of its fifteen employees also work at M.M.P. The president and C.E.O. of both companies is Gurney Sloan, who previously worked as a senior vice-president at Ackerman McQueen. This kind of arrangement is not illegal, but, as the former I.R.S. manager Marc Owens told me, “Multiple names for the same entity suggest an effort to disguise the extent of contact. Most organizations have centralized accounting so they can track how much is owed.”"
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Apr 20, 2019 13:40:48 GMT
Holy cow! How can the NRA have a tax exempt status?!
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Deleted
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Apr 18, 2024 14:28:50 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2019 14:09:21 GMT
Holy cow! How can the NRA have a tax exempt status?! "the NRA" is really like 4 501c3s and 1 PAC. The 501c3 have the tax exemption - but bogus, imo, based on how much "public good" they do vs. how much self-dealing and taking suckers' money and giving it to their cronies. |
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Post by Merge on Apr 20, 2019 14:43:18 GMT
Not surprising at all.
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lindas
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by lindas on Apr 20, 2019 14:59:51 GMT
Holy cow! How can the NRA have a tax exempt status?! "the NRA" is really like 4 501c3s and 1 PAC. The 501c3 have the tax exemption - but bogus, imo, based on how much "public good" they do vs. how much self-dealing and taking suckers' money and giving it to their cronies. Actually the NRA is a 501c4. |
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Deleted
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Apr 18, 2024 14:28:50 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Apr 20, 2019 17:11:29 GMT
As I said, there are several organizations and lindas noted that one is a 501c4. There are others like the NRA Foundation, which is a 501(c)(3).
The National Rifle Association is composed of several financially interconnected organizations under common leadership,
The Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) is a PAC established as a subsidiary to the NRA, to support NRA-friendly politicians
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Post by Really Red on Apr 20, 2019 18:55:56 GMT
This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. They are very powerful.
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Post by birukitty on Apr 20, 2019 19:15:52 GMT
Marc Owens, who served for ten years as the head of the Internal Revenue Service division that oversees tax-exempt enterprises, recently reviewed these records. “The litany of red flags is just extraordinary,” he said. “The materials reflect one of the broadest arrays of likely transgressions that I’ve ever seen. There is a tremendous range of what appears to be the misuse of assets for the benefit of certain venders and people in control.” Owens added, “Those facts, if confirmed, could lead to the revocation of the N.R.A.’s tax-exempt status”—without which the organization could likely not survive. I'm seeing this as a beacon of hope. If we can get rid of the NRA we can begin moving toward a safer nation by passing stricter gun control laws. With them in power this will never happen. And they are so powerful it will be difficult to ever get rid of them. I'm praying this is the answer for this nation. |
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lizacreates
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,856
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Post by lizacreates on Apr 21, 2019 16:46:35 GMT
Oh, so vendors like PR firm Ackerman McQueen have taken over the NRA and are skimming off the top? And the IRS is investigating? I guess thoughts and prayers weren’t sufficient to protect them.
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Deleted
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Apr 18, 2024 14:28:50 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 4, 2019 14:07:10 GMT
"Those liberal, coastal elites are at it again. Oh, wait. It’s actually the conservative CEO of the NRA, the association that pretends to be about everyday gun owners but really represents the bloody greed of gun manufacturers and owns the Republicans in Congress. You know, the people who pretend liberals are such elites that they call them “limousine liberals,” whereas they stand for the flag-waving Russian peasants also now known as the conservative base. Yes, it turns out, according to the Wall Street Journal, the NRA board let Wayne LaPierre charge $440,000 to the “nonprofit,” $200,000 of which was for suits. Suits he bought in Beverly Hills. California. Land of the snitty liberal elite. Oh, and trips! Yes, Wayne LaPierre, who of course hates Europe like any red-blooded American who supports selling military weapons to children and suspected terrorists because hey, money is God, spent $240,000 on trips to Italy, Hungary, and the Bahamas, and charged the NRA “without providing adequate documentation.” Documentation is for suckers. Like laws. And jobs. " www.politicususa.com/2019/05/03/republican-nra-suckers-get-conned-as-wayne-lapierre-spends-200k-on-beverly-hills-suits.html |
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Post by papercrafteradvocate on May 4, 2019 17:07:11 GMT
As I said, there are several organizations and lindas noted that one is a 501c4. There are others like the NRA Foundation, which is a 501(c)(3). The National Rifle Association is composed of several financially interconnected organizations under common leadership, The Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) is a PAC established as a subsidiary to the NRA, to support NRA-friendly politicians yep and the 501C4 that lindas pointed out is the most damaging of their "non profit status" This is the MAIN reason why the NRA is a 501(c)(4): 501(c)(4) Two types of organizations fit into this category: social welfare organizations and local associations of employees. Social welfare organizations can include homeowner associations and volunteer fire companies if they fit the exemptions. These organizations can engage in lobbying efforts if the causes coincide with the organization’s purpose. The Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision allowed corporations and labor unions to register as a 501(c)(4) and, in turn, spend unlimited amounts of money on politics without disclosing their donors. As a result, the IRS was flooded with new applications for 501(c)(4) organizations.
And this is the MAIN reason that the NRA is not (solely or wholly) a 501(c)(3) :
Restrictions: Any profits derived from the organization cannot benefit any director, officer or other individual. (This doesn’t mean that you cannot be paid for the work, quite the opposite, but unlike public corporations where directors or shareholders receive a split of the profits, a 501(c)(3) cannot issue any dividends.) Also, should the organization shut down, no individual may benefit from any distribution of assets. Lobbying, propaganda or other legislative activity must be kept insubstantial, which is generally interpreted as 10-20 percent of an organization’s activities.
So thanks lindas for point their correct status out! |
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Post by revirdsuba99 on May 4, 2019 17:42:34 GMT
Long post on NRA: NRA All Organizations"When most people think of the NRA they think of the National Rifle Association of America and the Second Amendment (“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed”) but there are six separate non-profits that comprise the NRA: NRA (National Rifle Association of America): 501 (c)(4)They raised nearly $337 million in 2015 from three sources (annual membership at about $35 with a reported 5 million members), program services, and contributions and grants. They have a 76 member board, of which 65 are males (86%) and 11 are women (14%).* NRA Foundation, Inc.: 501 (c)(3)This 501 (c) (3) organization (a corporation) has 17 trustees, 13 of which are men (76%) and 4 are women (24%).* They accept contributions (which are tax-deductible). In 2015, they collected nearly $50 million ($35 million from fundraising and contributions and $15 million from gaming activities) NRA Freedom Action Foundation: 501 (c)(3)The NRA Freedom Action Foundation is a corporation – a 501 (c) (3) – whose mission is to educate the public although they do not have employees, award grants, or conduct educational programs based on their 2015 IRS Form 990. Governed by 5 Directors (4 men and 1 woman), four of whom receive compensation from other affiliate organizations, the NRA Freedom Action Foundation raised $1.2 million in 2015 and spent less than $100,000 NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund: 501 (c)(3)Formed as a trust, the NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund is a 501 (c) (3) that provides legal assistance in cases that involve the Second Amendment and “the constitutional rights of individuals to keep and bear arms.” In 2015, the organization reported total revenue of $760,315 which is about $1 million less than the year before. NRA Special Contribution Fund: 501 (c) (3)This 501 (c) (3) is a trust that provides education and training in firearms through the NRA Whittington Center near Raton, New Mexico... In 2015, this organization raised $4.4 million primarily from contributions, mineral rights, and program fees at the Whittington Center. NRA Political Victory Fund: PAC Section 527"This organization is a non-profit exempt under Code Section 527 and files an IRS Form 1120-POL which is not made publicly available. However, as reluctant as this organization is to reveal its financial information (I went back and forth with them requesting financial and tax information and they were less than cooperative). Undeterred, the information can be found on-line through www.opensecrets.org – a website that lists the most recent financial information available (every donor that contributed over $200 and all the recipients)." So, when you see financials for "the NRA" be sure to understand which "NRA" they're talking about. They like to tout different numbers from different organizations depending on the point they're trying to prove. www.opensecrets.org/news/issues/guns |
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Post by papercrafteradvocate on May 4, 2019 18:32:24 GMT
Long post on NRA: NRA All Organizations"When most people think of the NRA they think of the National Rifle Association of America and the Second Amendment (“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed”) but there are six separate non-profits that comprise the NRA: NRA (National Rifle Association of America): 501 (c)(4)They raised nearly $337 million in 2015 from three sources (annual membership at about $35 with a reported 5 million members), program services, and contributions and grants. They have a 76 member board, of which 65 are males (86%) and 11 are women (14%).* NRA Foundation, Inc.: 501 (c)(3)This 501 (c) (3) organization (a corporation) has 17 trustees, 13 of which are men (76%) and 4 are women (24%).* They accept contributions (which are tax-deductible). In 2015, they collected nearly $50 million ($35 million from fundraising and contributions and $15 million from gaming activities) NRA Freedom Action Foundation: 501 (c)(3)The NRA Freedom Action Foundation is a corporation – a 501 (c) (3) – whose mission is to educate the public although they do not have employees, award grants, or conduct educational programs based on their 2015 IRS Form 990. Governed by 5 Directors (4 men and 1 woman), four of whom receive compensation from other affiliate organizations, the NRA Freedom Action Foundation raised $1.2 million in 2015 and spent less than $100,000 NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund: 501 (c)(3)Formed as a trust, the NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund is a 501 (c) (3) that provides legal assistance in cases that involve the Second Amendment and “the constitutional rights of individuals to keep and bear arms.” In 2015, the organization reported total revenue of $760,315 which is about $1 million less than the year before. NRA Special Contribution Fund: 501 (c) (3)This 501 (c) (3) is a trust that provides education and training in firearms through the NRA Whittington Center near Raton, New Mexico... In 2015, this organization raised $4.4 million primarily from contributions, mineral rights, and program fees at the Whittington Center. NRA Political Victory Fund: PAC Section 527"This organization is a non-profit exempt under Code Section 527 and files an IRS Form 1120-POL which is not made publicly available. However, as reluctant as this organization is to reveal its financial information (I went back and forth with them requesting financial and tax information and they were less than cooperative). Undeterred, the information can be found on-line through www.opensecrets.org – a website that lists the most recent financial information available (every donor that contributed over $200 and all the recipients)." So, when you see financials for "the NRA" be sure to understand which "NRA" they're talking about. They like to tout different numbers from different organizations depending on the point they're trying to prove. www.opensecrets.org/news/issues/gunsYep, smoke and mirrors—goal oust moving depending on their narrative that day... |
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Deleted
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Apr 18, 2024 14:28:50 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 26, 2019 11:45:00 GMT
N.R.A. Shuts Down Production of NRATV www.nytimes.com/2019/06/25/us/nra-nratv-ackerman-mcqueen.html"The National Rifle Association has shut down production at NRATV. The N.R.A. on Tuesday also severed all business with its estranged advertising firm, Ackerman McQueen, which operates NRATV, the N.R.A.’s live broadcasting media arm, according to interviews and documents reviewed by The New York Times. While NRATV may continue to air past content, its live broadcasting will end and its on-air personalities — Ackerman employees including Dana Loesch — will no longer be the public faces of the N.R.A. It remained unclear whether the N.R.A. might try to hire some of those employees, but there was no indication it was negotiating to do so." |
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Post by dewryce on Jun 26, 2019 11:56:31 GMT
N.R.A. Shuts Down Production of NRATV www.nytimes.com/2019/06/25/us/nra-nratv-ackerman-mcqueen.html"The National Rifle Association has shut down production at NRATV. The N.R.A. on Tuesday also severed all business with its estranged advertising firm, Ackerman McQueen, which operates NRATV, the N.R.A.’s live broadcasting media arm, according to interviews and documents reviewed by The New York Times. While NRATV may continue to air past content, its live broadcasting will end and its on-air personalities — Ackerman employees including Dana Loesch — will no longer be the public faces of the N.R.A. It remained unclear whether the N.R.A. might try to hire some of those employees, but there was no indication it was negotiating to do so." I bet Trump is pissed he already hired a new “Press Secretary” and how soon do you think until Dana has a job on Fox “News?” |
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freebird
Drama Llama
'cause I'm free as a bird now
Posts: 6,927
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Post by freebird on Jun 26, 2019 14:49:58 GMT
**vendOrs
Sorry, big pet peeve.
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Post by elaine on Jun 26, 2019 15:01:22 GMT
**vendOrs Sorry, big pet peeve. Both spellings are correct/acceptable and, in fact, vendEr comes from the Latin root meaning “to sell.” Vendor is just more commonly used. |
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Post by SockMonkey on Jun 26, 2019 18:14:57 GMT
How long before FOX gives a show to that human tampon disposal bin Dana Loesch?
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Post by SockMonkey on Jun 26, 2019 18:16:51 GMT
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freebird
Drama Llama
'cause I'm free as a bird now
Posts: 6,927
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Post by freebird on Jun 26, 2019 18:22:51 GMT
Ugh... no clue! I still hate it though. which means someone will misspell it in my obit for sure.
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Post by SockMonkey on Jun 26, 2019 18:26:06 GMT
Ugh... no clue! I still hate it though. which means someone will misspell it in my obit for sure.
LOL! I just think it's hilarious the Atlantic dragged the New Yorker for it's style. I kind of agree, though. That umlaut on cooperation is SO extra. |
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Jun 26, 2019 19:06:38 GMT
How long before FOX gives a show to that human tampon disposal bin Dana Loesch? They deserve her................... Although she is good and well spoken........ |
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