A Crisis at the N.R.A.

The Daily

The New York Times

Daily News, News

4.3 • 107.7K Ratings

🗓️ 30 April 2019

⏱️ 22 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

A bitter power struggle has broken out inside the nation’s pre-eminent gun rights group. We look at how the mere threat of a financial investigation plunged the National Rifle Association into crisis. Guest: Danny Hakim, an investigative reporter for The New York Times, spoke with us from the N.R.A.’s annual convention in Indianapolis. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Background reading:Wayne LaPierre was unanimously re-elected as chief executive of the N.R.A. after infighting with Oliver L. North, who was replaced as the group’s president.The N.R.A. is facing a number of challenges, including the New York attorney general’s investigation into the group’s tax-exempt status and the new financial strength of the gun control movement.

Transcript

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0:00.0	From the New York Times on Michael Barbaro, this is The Daily.
0:10.0	Today, an ugly power struggle has broken out inside the nation's pre-eminent gun rights group.
0:18.0	How just the possibility of an investigation into its finances plunged the NRA into crisis.
0:26.0	It's Tuesday, April 30.
0:34.0	The banners are up and exhibitors moving in for one of the city's largest and most polarizing conventions.
0:40.0	It's the second time Indianapolis is hosted the NRA.
0:44.0	We'll be getting tomorrow tens of thousands of people will be coming to downtown Indianapolis for the annual NRA convention.
0:50.0	When these convention doors open, this place is going to be transformed into the world's biggest family reunion with acres and acres of guns and gear.
0:58.0	Every year the NRA holds an annual convention. This year there were 15 acres of guns at the convention center in Indianapolis.
1:06.0	Already you've got folks who are coming in from all around the country. It's going to be a great weekend here in Indy.
1:12.0	This year however, the drama really was playing out behind the scenes.
1:16.0	Danny Hakem has been reporting on the NRA for the times.
1:22.0	It was really the biggest leadership crisis that the group has had for many years since the 1990s at least.
1:28.0	Between two of the top figures in the NRA and it really has the potential to cause turmoil even beyond this weekend.
1:38.0	Danny, where does all this turmoil inside the NRA begin?
1:44.0	It might seem like something of a surprise, but the leadership turmoil within the NRA actually can be traced back to the Attorney General's campaign in the state of New York last summer.
1:56.0	Hi, it's Latisha James and I just received a questionnaire from some of my friends at the NRA.
2:02.0	That's when Latisha James was the front runner in that race at the time.
2:08.0	Do you really think they're going to endorse me? I'm going to fill it out anyway.
2:12.0	Stay tuned.
2:14.0	She began saying that she was going to investigate the NRA's tax exempt status because the NRA is a non-profit group.
2:22.0	She even at one point referred to the NRA as a terrorist organization.
	...

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