Just before former National Rifle Association (NRA) president Oliver North was ousted, North was accused of double-billing the gun lobby by drawing two salaries: one from the NRA itself and one from the NRA's marketing firm, Ackerman McQueen, which produced NRATV.
North was, in fact, getting paid twice for doing one job, but McQueen says it wasn't a secret. They say NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre knew about North's contract and even signed off on it.
From The Daily Beast:
[In] a July 16 filing that was reviewed by The Daily Beast, Ackerman McQueen alleges that LaPierre himself helped negotiate the deal between their firm and North. And they hint that they have documentation to prove it. [...]
“LaPierre negotiated the terms of the North Contract directly with Lt. Col. North and a detailed term sheet was sent to AMc [Ackerman McQueen] for completion of the formal agreement,” the filing reads.
The NRA’s then-treasurer, Wilson “Woody” Phillips, also reviewed and approved North’s contract with the firm, according to the filing, and the NRA board’s audit committee green-lit the contract as well.
“On at least two occasions, counsel for the NRA has reviewed the North Contract,” the filing adds.
I believe the most plausible explanation here is that top officials at the NRA do not spend a great deal of time pouring over the details of their contracts and probably routinely sign off on things without taking a closer look.
That is the key, you know, to running an organization filled with as many grifters, schemers, and fraudsters as the NRA. You can't look too closely because, if you do, you'll rock the boat. And if you rock the boat, everyone loses their hustle. After North's departure, we learned that at least a dozen members of the NRA's board of directors are getting paid by the lobby even though they aren't suppose to draw a salary.
It's possible that Wayne LaPierre gave Oliver North whatever he wanted without paying close attention to it because LaPierre did not want North to pay close to attention to his own spending habits. LaPierre did not want anyone to lift up the rock and notice that he spent a quarter of a million dollars on luxury suits and trips to Italy.
On the other hand, it's possible Ackerman McQueen is lying. I think they're all lying to some degree.
In any case...
