(chrisdorney / Shutterstock.com photo)
August 12, 2021
By Firearms News Staff
Citing concerns over a lack of liability insurance provided by the National Rifle Association for its board of directors, Gunsite Academy owner and long-time NRA board member Buzz Mills has become the latest to resign from the board.
"Over the past dozen years, it has been my honor to serve the members of the National Rifle Association of America as one of their elected directors,” Mills said. “I find myself in continuous turmoil trying to continue the good work we have accomplished and working to convince fellow board members to stand up for our membership and exercise the principles of good governance.
“In June, I asked our leadership if we had been noticed by our insurer that our Directors and Officers Insurance would not be renewed, I got no answer, they all simply looked at their… shoes.”
In fact, it was recently revealed that Lloyd’s of London would not be renewing the NRA’s directors and officers insurance policy. That action could leave board members more vulnerable to personal liability for overseeing the organization.
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“I must resign my directorship,” Mills concluded. “It is completely unrealistic to ask volunteer directors to work without the customary clear, adequate and industry standard Directors insurance. How can you expect us, to both neglect our fiduciary duty and self-insure against doing that which you ask us to do, knowing full well it is wrong???? What?”
Both rock star Ted Nugent and actress Susan Howard also resigned from the NRA board in the past week. Nugent told friends, followers and fellow board members via social media that after a quarter-century, he simply couldn’t continue “burning the candle at both ends.”
“I salute you and thank you for your never-ending dedication to fight for our right to keep and bear arms, and though not sitting on the board with you, I will indeed be in the heat of battle on the not so main streets of America every damn day, as always,” he wrote. “So due to constant scheduling conflicts, I hereby resign my position on the NRA Board of Directors wishing you well and Godspeed.”
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For her part, Howard’s resignation announcement was much more straight-forward.
“You must ask yourselves: Is what is happening to this great organization living up to the blood, sweat and tears that our founders sacrificed for us,” Howard wrote in a follow-up letter to fellow board members after questions arose about her resignation. “Please search your motives and restore the National Rifle Association back to America.”
Firearms News has been covering NRA-Related issues for the past few years and will continue to do so.