National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre billed the group’s ad agency $39,000 for a day of shopping at a Beverly Hills clothing boutique, $18,300 for a car and driver in Europe and had the agency cover $13,800 in rent for a summer intern, according to NRA documents posted anonymously on the internet, the Wall Street Journal reports. The papers provide new details of expenses totaling more than $542,000 that Ackerman McQueen Inc. alleges LaPierre billed to it. The travel expenses include more than $200,000 in “Air Transportation” costs during a month in late 2012 and early 2013 partly related to a two-week LaPierre trip over Christmas to the Bahamas.
The details behind the ad agency’s claims comes as LaPierre faces internal scrutiny at the NRA over his expenses amid an extraordinary falling-out between the NRA and Ackerman McQueen. NRA president Carolyn Meadows said the “entire board is fully aware of these issues. We have full confidence in Wayne LaPierre.” She added that “it is troubling and pathetic that some people would resort to leaking information to advance their agendas.” The NRA is grappling with an investigation into its financial dealings with insiders and other matters by the New York attorney general. “It’s time for a change in leadership” at the NRA, said Shawn Herrin, an NRA member who runs a gun-oriented podcast company and aired some of the allegations about LaPierre’s spending last week.