The NRA v. Ackerman McQueen. Epic Vortex of all that is Horrible. A Thread.

A couple of weeks ago, news that the NRA was suing it's long time ad agency blipped by in the news feed. I mostly missed, despite my deep love for NRA misery. https://newsok.com/article/5628800/nra-sues-okc-advertisement-agency-ackerman-mcqueen

Ackerman McQueen runs A LOT of NRA crap. They "worked with the NRA for 38 years and court filings reveal annual billings in recent years have topped $40 million as operations expanded to include NRATV featuring personalities Dana Loesch and Oliver North." $FORTY MILLION ANNUAL

The NRA sued for "withholding billing information and breaching their contract." Basically, AMcQ wouldn't give NRA proof of what it's charges were: "business records, including budgets and contracts charging the NRA for services."

Today @DerWouter tagged me with this little tidbit. The woman on the right (an NRA intern and "gift coordinator") is specifically named in an AMcQ letter to Extermely Horrible Person Wayne LaPierre. https://twitter.com/DerWouter/status/1127971150766669824.

The letter is part of the leaked documents that went to WSJ when Extremely Horrible Person Ollie North was ousted from his role at the NRA for trying to ouster EHP LaPierre. https://www.wsj.com/articles/leaked-letters-reveal-details-of-nra-chiefs-alleged-spending-11557597601

The WSJ's lead paragraph from the leaks: NRA CEO "LaPierre billed the group’s ad agency $39,000 for one day of shopping at a Beverly Hills clothing boutique, $18,300 for a car and driver in Europe and had the agency cover $13,800 in rent for a summer intern...." SUMMER INTERN

After the NRA sued it, AMcQ wrote LaPierre and said, WE CAN'T GIVE YOU DETAILS OF RECEIPTS, BECAUSE YOU (WAYNE) DIDN'T GIVE THEM TO US. Wayne "Just Like Manafort" LaPierre spent $274,695.03 at "the Zenga store" in Beverly Hills, CA.

This "Ad Agency" is really just a giant ATM that allowed Wayne "Laundering" LaPierre to run his personal expenses in such a way that the NRA could claim advertising expenses for OBVIOUSLY PERSONAL SPENDING. This is a violation of both non-profit and income tax law.

If I read the letter correctly, the "Ad Agency" was also paying a travel agency which was paying for Horrible Person Wayne's personal vacations. Unless Horrible Person Wayne was putting that on his INCOME TAX FILINGS as non monetary compensation, he was committing a crime.

The NRA spent 27 Million on the November, 2014 election. LaPierre was in BUDAPEST to celebrate? @saradannerdukic @LouiseMensch @ericgarland

Siri, how do you spell fraud? (The rent charges at the bottom are for the attractive, young "gift coordinator" at the top of this tweet.)

BOTTOM LINE: Ackerman McQueen and LaPierre had a scheme to hide taxable expenses from the IRS and NRA Members. This plan is now BLOWING UP IN THEIR FACES. Tic Tock: Board still backing LaPierre, so they were probably on the take, too.

OK, I going to crack open the pleadings and see what's there. I'll start a new thread.

Oh yeah, and we don't know yet why LaPierre personally ordered AMcQ to pay for an apartment for an attractive "gift coordinator". We also don't know whether she reported that on her taxes. Or if she was in the Bahamas, or got some of the 100s of thousands of dollars in clothes.

This blueprint - massive spending on advertising to cover up for massive grift - I'm gonna guess we are going to see some more of this. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/05/13/conservatism-has-become-racket-trump-is-grifter-chief/?utm_term=.42b8c70a03c0