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NAGR is NOT a friend to gun owners.
Dudley Brown is also NOT a friend gunowners.

They worked against gun owners in Colorado.

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I'm confused. I used to get his emails all the time. Please go on ???

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I'm confused. I used to get his emails all the time. Please go on ???

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Fuck NAGR
Fuck Dudley

Read up, hombres

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Not a fan of NAGR.

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NAGR is NOT a friend to gun owners.
Dudley Brown is also NOT a friend gunowners.

They worked against gun owners in Colorado.

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Not a fan of NAGR.

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NAGR is NOT a friend to gun owners.
Dudley Brown is also NOT a friend gunowners.

They worked against gun owners in Colorado and everywhere else.

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Wrote this a while ago as whenever this topic comes up, people always ask "Why is NAGR bad? They seem good to me!" Rather than constantly typing up responses each time, I just decided to write it once and copy/paste it in the threads it came up in. This is my first chance to use it. If you wonder why we all hate NAGR, see below.

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Dudley Brown and his national organization NAGR (and many of his state level organizations, like RMGO and FLGR) are parasites on the firearms community. They lie about their lobbying efforts, spend most of their expenses on spam, attack pro-gun legislation, pro-gun candidates, and pro-gun organizations, and prey on nervous and frustrated gun owners by soliciting donations. Their lobbying propaganda is incredibly dangerous, as it creates the appearance that NAGR is effecting positive change for gun owners at the national level and is deserving of your money over established organizations like the NRA, neither of which are true. This then causes money to be diverted from productive organizations like the NRA-ILA, 2nd Amendment Foundation, or the Heller Foundation to mooches and leeches like NAGR, which is destructive for us as a community. Additionally, their constant attacks on pro-gun legislation/candidates/organizations cause discord and disunity in our community and undermine our ability to get the right things passed and the right people elected at both state and federal levels.

Please do not support Dudley Brown, NAGR, and of his state-level shill organizations, or anyone associated with him. They harm gun rights, not help them.

On lobbying:

There’s an odd claim that keeps popping up that NAGR spent more on lobbying than the NRA circa 2012 and 2013 (example for 2013: http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2013/05/no-compromise-gun-group-drives-lobb/). However, when you look at their IRS Form 990s for those years, you can see this is not true:

-NAGR 2012 IRS Form 990: http://pdfs.citizenaudit.org/2013_09_EO/54-2015951_990O_201212.pdf
-NAGR 2013 IRS Form 990: http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2013/542/015/2013-542015951-0a89cd12-9O.pdf

As you can see on page 10 of their 2012 IRS Form 990, they only spent approximately $330,000 on lobbying for the year. Their largest expenditures, unsurprisingly, were mail and internet communications (approximately $2.7 million and $1.3 million, respectively). Similar proportions are seen on page 11 of their 2013 Form 990, where they spent approximately $1.5 million on lobbying for the year, with their largest expenditures yet again being mail and internet communications (approximately $6 million and $3.2 million, respectively). NAGR is effectively a spam mail organization more than it is a lobbying organization.

Also, federal lobbyists have to be registered. Look at how many lobbyists NAGR has in those years versus the NRA:

-NRA in 2012: https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientlbs.php?id=D000000082&year=2012
-NRA in 2013: https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientlbs.php?id=D000000082&year=2013

-NAGR in 2012: N/A (none listed)
-NAGR in 2013: https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientlbs.php?id=D000062593&year=2013

As you can see, the NRA has 29 lobbyists registered in 2012 and 33 in 2013. NAGR, on the other hand, has none listed for 2012, and 2 listed for 2013.

Based on the data reported above (lies about money spent on actual lobbying, being outclassed by the NRA in registered lobbyists by 10-fold), it’s obvious which organization is doing more to lobby for gun rights and is more deserving of your support.

Also note that there are two different lobbying totals being reported for NAGR above. One number being reported is from the IRS Form 990s, and the other number on opensecrets.org is being reported from the forms lobbying organizations file under the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA). The LDA definition of expenses related to lobbying is very loose, and the IRS definition is stricter, and that is why the numbers for NAGR between the Form 990s and the LDA filings are so drastically different. You can find the LDA guidelines for expense reporting here http://lobbyingdisclosure.house.gov/amended_lda_guide.html (ctrl+f “lobbying activites” and “expense” to find the relevant sections) and the IRS guidelines here https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i990sc.pdf (ctrl+f “lobbying expenditures”).

As you can see, the LDA allows you to call a lot more things “lobbying,” like preparation, background work, and coordination with others, and so “expense relating to lobbying activities” can be a lot of stuff that most people wouldn’t consider direct lobbying. The IRS, however, defines lobbying expenditures like most people would: expenditures incurred “[t]hrough communication with any member or employee of a legislative or similar body, or with any government official or employee who may participate in the formulation of the legislation, and by attempting to affect the opinions of the general public.” This more traditional definition of lobbying means what NAGR can call lobbying to the IRS is much different than what they can claim is lobbying under LDA. They’re allowed to calculate their lobbying expenses much differently.

I personally think the IRS definition and totals being reported are much more accurate with regards to what we as gun rights supporters would consider “lobbying.” I also think that’s why NAGR uses the LDA totals to claim it’s outspending the NRA in lobbying, which all of us know they aren’t in any real sense. They’re just allowed to count a lot more as “lobbying” under LDA that isn’t directly influencing legislators or public opinion. It’s bogus. It’s an accounting trick. When it comes down to actually influencing legislators or public opinion, the NRA spends more. A lot more.

And don’t take my word for it on all of this. See the left-leaning Sunlight Foundation’s report in 2013 on firearms lobbying: https://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/2013/12/09/hired-guns-k-street-revolvers-shot-blanks-against-nra-artillery/

“Organizations backing gun rights, such as the National Rifle Association, reported lobbying spending of $12.2 million, more than seven times as much as gun control groups. Even if the amount were adjusted by subtracting the amount reported spent by the National Association for Gun Rights, which is likely inflated because of the way in which that group counts lobbying expenses, gun rights groups reported spending $6.2 million, nearly four times as much as gun control groups.”

P.S.: also worth noting is that NAGR spent more on salaries in 2012 than it did on lobbying. Oops!

On 2A activism:

Even if we ignore that NAGR uses deceptive (and that’s being charitable) methods of advertising its lobbying expenditures to try and make bogus claims about outspending the NRA, is it all worth it if they do great things for the 2nd Amendment? Nope, because they don’t. They, and specifically Dudley Brown, routinely try to sabotage other pro-gun legislation, pro-gun candidates, and pro-gun organizations. No one is 100% sure why, but I have a feeling it’s done to create an image of NAGR’s as some hardcore, outsider, badass, no-compromise gun-rights organization, and thus, build up its street-cred so you donate. AKA: slandering and attacking good organizations, candidates, and legislation to increase NAGR’s power (and donations).

Some links to show this side of Dudley Brown and NAGR:

-Details about NAGR’s leadership (“professional junk mailer”) and tactics, especially how NAGR preys on gun owners by attacking pro-gun legislation, candidates, and organizations to stir up fundraising via spam mail: http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/how-this-gun-rights-group-is-profoundly-damaging-your-second-amendment-rights/

-Dudley Brown attacking Alan Gottlieb of the 2nd Amendment Foundation, who led the fight and won McDonald vs. City of Chicago: https://www.saf.org/dudley-browns-despicable-deception/

-Dudley Brown sabotaging pro-gun legislation in Minnesota that had been fought for hard and long by Minnesota GOCRA -- the actual state-level pro-2A organization there: https://www.facebook.com/gocra/posts/10151903682407542?fref=nf

-Dudley Brown (via his state organization RMGO) routinely lobbied (and continues to lobby) against pro-2A legislation that would increase Colorado’s magazine limit from 15 to 30, which anyone can see is progress for gun owners: http://completecolorado.com/pagetwo/2015/04/09/30-round-compromise-rmgo-says-no/

-Dudley Brown opposed a pro-gun Republican candidate in the Colorado recalls (explained in this link if you don’t know what the recalls were), attempting to sabotage an obviously pro-gun opportunity: http://volokh.com/2013/09/11/colorado-recalls-explained/

-A good read on Dudley’s history, how he hurt gun rights in his own state, utilizes RMGO and NAGR to blackmail, bully, and intimidate people, and overall how he and his organizations have been a destructive force when it comes to pro-gun legislation and ideas. Most importantly, it also alludes to Dudley’s past in which he was charged for possession of controlled substances and assaulting a young girl: http://www.5280.com/magazine/2013/08/Dudley-browns-war

-Long thread on AR15.com regarding NAGR/Dudley Brown and their unethical practices, how they tried to both sabotage AND take credit for the Colorado recalls, and a ton of other nasty stuff: http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/1269051_Scam_being_run_by_the_National_Association_for_Gun_Rights.html

-Another AR15.com thread similar to the one above, also detailing Dudley’s connections to other politicians: http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/1737693_Chris_Christie_and_Rand_Paul_not_invited_to_speak_at_the_NRA_convention.html&page=1

-State Representative from Iowa exposing one of Dudley Brown’s shill organizations (Iowa Gun Owners), run by a man named Aaron Dorr, that attempted to sabotage pro-gun legislation (a suppressor bill) in that state. The Representative goes as far as to call Brown’s organization a scam. He also makes clear that it was the NRA and real state-level organizations (Iowa Firearms Coalition) that helped to get the bill passed, NOT Dudley Brown, Aaron Dorr, or any of their shill groups: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI5yy64TEEk

-Yet another article detailing how NAGR attacked pro-gun legislation, candidates and organizations in Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska to drum up donations without actually doing any pro-gun advocacy or lobbying in those states (notice a theme here?): http://www.cosaction.com/_gun_rights_group_picks_wrong_fight

-And another one. Dudley Brown shill organization (“Florida Gun Rights”) lied about the existence of a range-ban bill to drum up donations. Article calls the operation a scam: http://www.ammoland.com/2016/01/florida-gun-rights-group-is-scamming-you/#axzz3yDC3u0Of

-Ammoland post detailing Dudley Brown’s shill organization in Florida (Florida Gun Rights, from above) and how it’s simply a fundraising front that has no in-state lobbyists, leaders, or ground game: http://www.ammoland.com/2015/06/florida-gun-rights-flgr-is-a-fraud/?utm_source=Ammoland+Subscribers&utm_campaign=d606b10113-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6f6fac3eaa-d606b10113-7147649#axzz3crMjtxpY

-ANOTHER one. NAGR attacks a pro-gun, A+ NRA rated candidate in VA: https://www.facebook.com/325633370820160/photos/a.925145597535598.1073741828.325633370820160/1016812205035603/

-Yup, another one. NAGR sends out mailers attacking a pro-gun candidate in VA with lies about the candidate’s record, all based on a NAGR survey the candidate couldn’t respond to because the survey was mailed 19 days after its own due date: http://virginiashootingsportsassociation.blogspot.com/2015/05/nagr-unleashes-dishonest-attack-on-bill.html

-Dudley Brown attacking pro-gun advocate Dave Kopel for supporting the upping of Colorado’s magazine limit from 15 to 30, which is obviously progress for gun owners: http://virginiashootingsportsassociation.blogspot.com/2015/04/dudley-brown-shows-his-true-colors-in.html

-Report describing how NAGR and Dudley Brown attack the NRA to solicit donations, make up fake, non-existant legislation to solicit donations, and lie about donating to candidates to further solicit even more donations: https://pjmedia.com/blog/national-association-for-gun-rights-or-against

And many more. Please visit “The Truth About the National Association for Gun Rights” on Facebook for tons of other links and tidbits regarding Dudley Brown, NAGR, and the junk that comes with them: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=The%20Truth%20About%20the%20National%20Association%20for%20Gun%20Rights%20-%20NAGR

Conclusion:

Avoid Dudley Brown and NAGR like the plague. They lie. They are unethical. They divert money away from true pro-gun organizations. They attack pro-gun causes and people. They do far more to harm gun rights than help them. Do not be a part of it. Do not contribute money. Do not support him or his organizations. Do not follow them on Facebook. Do not believe in their propaganda. Ostracize Dudley Brown, NAGR, and everything they touch so that our community is stronger and can effect more productive change without him.

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Looks like my formatting didn't carry over, nor the hotlinks. Will fix in the future.

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Looks like my formatting didn't carry over, nor the hotlinks. Will fix in the future.

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No problem at all. I got too fed up with seeing this topic continue to come up and be argued about, so wanted a good, centralized source put together on it to help people see what NAGR and its sub-organizations really are all about. Put it together sometime last year, glad I finally got the chance to use it. There's probably been more scandals since then that I could link, but I haven't kept up with it.