The Weekly Reload Podcast

This week, we're taking a look at the state of the National Rifle Association (NRA) as it faces what may be its biggest challenge yet. The NRA has survived 150 years, a corruption lawsuit, and a bankruptcy filing. But it is now staring down a potential crackup with the group's foundation attempting to split off. Ohio State University accounting professor Brian Mittendorf joins the show to explain just how much of a threat to the group's financial stability. Mittendorf said the battle between the foundation and the NRA membership organization, which recently escalated when the foundation's leadership dropped the NRA moniker from the group's name, could be catastrophic for both. The NRA houses most of the actual operations people associate with the group, but the foundation has long served as a key financial backstop. He argued that without it, the NRA could be back on the path to devastation, and without the NRA name, the foundation could struggle to raise new funds. He explained the complex, though not uncommon, financial setup behind the consolidated NRA, which actually involves seven different legal entities. Mittendorf said the foundation's large endowment and low expense structure have long been able to paper over some of the financial struggles of the membership organization. The NRA's latest report indicates the foundation houses nearly 70 percent of the combined organization's net assets and cash. Mittendorf noted that the NRA is still much larger than all of the other gun-rights groups combined, despite losing huge sums of members and revenue over the past half-decade. He said the group's latest annual report shows the NRA has also managed to staunch some of the bleeding and put itself on a more sustainable path. But, ultimately, he said the foundation fight threatens to undo any progress the group has made.Special Guest: Brian Mittendorf.

This week, we're talking about a new legal agreement that would end Florida's waiting periods on gun purchases. To discuss the ins and outs of the agreement, we have the gun-rights lawyer who negotiated it on the show. That's Matt Larosiere. He filed a Second Amendment suit against the law alongside Mountain States and the National Rifle Association. Larosiere said Florida's waiting periods, which can range up to five days in parts of the state and apply to all kinds of gun sales, are unconstitutional. He argued there is nothing in the historical record that looks like modern waiting periods, as required by the Supreme Court's Bruen standard. He also said the state can no longer justify them on the idea that they give law enforcement space to complete a background check. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier (R.) apparently agrees. Instead of defending the law, Uthmeier offered to agree to a judgment blocking its enforcement. He doesn't think there's a viable path to defend the law's constitutionality. That's been a bit of a trend for Uthmeier recently, as he also recently declined to appeal a ruling against the state's open-carry ban. Larosiere agreed the moves are symbolic of Florida's odd gun politics. After all, the state still has a number of gun restrictions rare in red states despite Republicans controlling the government for years and years.Special Guest: Matt Larosiere.