Wayne LaPierre

Learn more about corporations VOTING to rewrite our laws.

Wayne LaPierre is the CEO of the National Rifle Association (NRA). LaPierre's total compensation from the NRA was $948,858 in 2009.

Ties to American Legislative Exchange Council

The NRA is a longtime member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and previously, for many years until early-2011, co-chaired the Public Safety and Elections Task Force.

About ALEC

ALEC is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, corporations hand state legislators their wishlists to benefit their bottom line. Corporations fund almost all of ALEC's operations. They pay for a seat on ALEC task forces where corporate lobbyists and special interest reps vote with elected officials to approve “model” bills. Learn more at the Center for Media and Democracy's ALECexposed.org, and check out breaking news on our ExposedbyCMD.org site.

Background

The NRA was founded in 1871, to "promote and encourage rifle shooting on a scientific basis," according to its website. Affiliated organizations include the Institute for Legislative Action, the NRA's lobbying arm, and the NRA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, which provides money "to fund gun safety and educational projects of benefit to the general public." During the 2010 election cycle, "the NRA spent more than $7.2 million on independent expenditures at the federal level -- messages that advocate for or against political candidates. These messages primarily supported Republican candidates or opposed Democratic candidates."