150: Going Inside the Downfall of the NRA with Misfire

Private planes. Thousand dollar suits. Yachts. Russian spies. And a lie -- that the solution to gun violence was just "a good guy with a gun."

A one time nonprofit group meant to encourage marksmanship and sports shooting, by the new millennium the National Rifle Association (NRA) had become "a powerful lobbyist organization that maintained an iron hold on gun legislation in America." And at the head of that changed organization sits CEO Wayne LaPierre, a man who has remained the NRA's figurehead despite decades of mismanagement and corruption.

In this episode, hosts Kelly and JJ are joined by journalist Tim Mak, who spent over four years investigating the NRA, including but not limited to the dissolution of their relationship with marketing firm Ackerman-McQueen, the NRA's involvement with Russian spies, and gross money mismanagement by top NRA officials. All is revealed in Mak's new book, Misfire: Inside the Downfall of the NRA.

For a chance to win your own copy of Misfire, simply email us at [email protected], or text/call us on the RBB line at (480) 744-3452‬ and tell us what you could do with $274,695.03 to fight gun violence -- that's the amount of NRA money LaPierre spent on clothes from one luxury retailer alone from  2004 to 2017.
 

Mentioned in this podcast:
The NRA Files for Bankruptcy, Says It Plans to Move to Texas (the Trace)
NRA Funded LaPierre’s Search for $6 Million Mansion, Document Shows (the Trace)
Lobbyists Sold Out Your Grandfather’s NRA (Brady)
NRA Not Above the Law (Brady)

For more information on Brady, follow us on social media @Bradybuzz or visit our website at bradyunited.org.

Full transcripts and bibliographies of this episode are available at bradyunited.org/podcast.

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Music provided by: David “Drumcrazie” Curby
Special thanks to Hogan Lovells for their long-standing legal support
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