1/ Earlier today it was my honor to be with the West Of The Pecos Republican Women Packing Pretty firearms training course. I finished 50 rounds at 7 yards with my Glock 23 .40cal doing timed shooting from holster drills. pic.twitter.com/oOBA3oJ8G9
— Allen West (@AllenWest) April 24, 2022
News is circulating that combat veteran and former congressman Lt. Col. Allen West may challenge the leadership of Wayne Lapierre at this year’s NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Houston, TX.
West is being urged to take on the LaPierre, the current exec. vice president (EVP), by a group of current and former NRA board members and lifetime members.
“We need a new leader who will work to resolve the outstanding litigation in New York and the District of Columbia,” said former NRA Board member Rocky Marshall in a press release obtained by GunsAmerica.
“Only then will the NRA be able to effectively serve all members, especially in the crucial upcoming elections, and get the NRA back to serving our members and reaching out to the 7.5 million new gun owners since 2019,” he added. “We think Allen West is that leader.”
LaPierre has been at the helm of the organization for 31 years. Only once before has he been challenged as EVP.
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Critics of LaPierre point to the organization’s admission, following an internal audit in 2019, that under his leadership certain executives received “excess benefits” while on the job, including LaPierre.
However, LaPierre has since “corrected” his individual misappropriation of funds, cutting a $300,000 personal check directly to the organization for travel expenses from 2015 to 2019.
Nevertheless, those backing West believe it is time for a change given the organization’s ongoing legal issues.
“After watching the NRA’s Bankruptcy hearings, reviewing the evidence presented and New York law, I have concluded that the likelihood of the NYAG winning her lawsuit against Wayne La Pierre and the other defendants is very high,” said current NRA Board member, Hon. Phillip Journey.
“If she wins, they will be prohibited from serving in any NY non-profit. Wayne will be removed from office by court order,” he continued. “As an NRA member and a member of its Board of Directors, I have a duty to plan for that contingency. I know Col. Allen West will make a great Executive Vice President of the NRA.”
As for West, he has not fully committed to the mission just yet.
“I guess I’ll have to go into prayer about this and make sure this is something that the Lord would have me do,” West said in an interview, according to Bloomberg.
If he did run, he told Bloomberg he would seek to restore the “honor, the character and the competency” of the NRA.
What do you think? Should West run for EVP?
An NRA member since age 14 and now retired, I will not renew my membership which expires this month until LaPiere is gone. You don’t write a $300,000 check unless you have done something wrong.