AOR Explores the NRA’s Leadership and Controversy: A Conversation With Board Member Isaac Demarest
June 17, 2024
Criminal defense attorneys Andrew Marcantel and Rachel Moss sit down with special guest Isaac Demarest, a board member of the National Rifle Association (NRA), at NRA’s annual convention in Dallas, Texas. Mr. Demarest, a financial planner from Toledo, Ohio, and a 2A advocate, shares insights on how the NRA operates and the need for generational change within the organization.
1. A Voice for the Membership
Board members of the NRA hold important roles on various committees, from legislative affairs to financial oversight. They lead these efforts to ensure resources focus on mission-critical goals. As a board member himself, Mr. Demarest emphasizes that the board’s primary duty is to represent and respond to its members.
“If you come across me in the convention and you say, ‘I have these concerns,’ I need to listen to them because someone out there voted for me to get me on that board.”
-Isaac Demarest
2. Strengthening Political Influence Through Legal Advocacy
One of the most influential aspects of the NRA’s advocacy is its legal and legislative arm. Mr. Demarest emphasizes the organization’s annual “report card” system, which evaluates lawmakers based on their voting records on Second Amendment issues.
This grading system, overseen by the Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA), plays a crucial role in shaping judicial appointments and legislative outcomes. Mr. Demarest emphasizes that while lawsuits are often the most visible aspect of advocacy, real impact comes from electing sympathetic legislators and judges. These individuals can influence the legal landscape long before a case reaches court.
“The NRA actually holds various political individuals accountable… we actually have a grade card that the legal arm of the NRA puts out every year. That is one of the most powerful things to influence elections.”
-Isaac Demarest
3. Rebuilding Trust After Leadership Failures
The attorneys address a scandal involving former NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre. In early 2024, Mr. LaPierre was found liable in a civil trial for the misappropriation of funds. This verdict shook the organization and its supporters.
“That is an absolute shame that somebody that so many people trusted misappropriated funds, and the NRA was less effective because of that.”
-Isaac Demarest
Mr. Demarest claims that new financial controls and audit procedures have been put in place to prevent similar abuses of power. As a financial planner, he endorses the structural reforms now in effect to rebuild the public’s trust.
“I am confident and comfortable in how the NRA moves forward financially… Those misappropriations will never happen again.”
-Isaac Demarest
4. A Call to the Next Generation
Mr. Demarest discusses generational outreach. He mentions that he was recruited by an existing board member who recognized his youth and financial expertise. Now, he considers it his mission to help modernize the NRA’s message while staying true to its core principles. The NRA is actively working to engage younger members.
“The NRA has not outreached to them in any of the methodologies that they cling to… The NRA needs to do that. We need to be a bigger presence, an educational presence on those mediums that the millennials are using.”
-Isaac Demarest
5. Comprehensive Second Amendment Advocacy
Mr. Demarest emphasizes that the organization’s efforts extend far beyond courtrooms and campaign trails. The NRA also serves as a foundation for firearm safety and education, which includes on-campus programs, training, and national certifications for instructors.
“The NRA is really a focus point of good firearm training… They’re a repository of a lot of proper education revolving around firearms.”
-Isaac Demarest
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