Unified Sportsmen of Florida

Unified Sportsmen of Florida (USF) is a non-profit lobbying organization in Florida known for its connections with the National Rifle Association (NRA). The organization was founded in 1975 by Marion Hammer, the current executive director, NRA board member, and former NRA president.[1][3][4][5][6]

Unified Sportsmen of Florida
Founded1975 (1975)
Type501(c)(4)
59-1725104 (EIN)
HeadquartersTallahassee, Florida, United States
Area served
Florida
Key people
Marion Hammer, executive director
Revenue
$248,074 (2018 FY)
[1][2]

Lead by Hammer, the group was responsible for Florida passing a permissive concealed carry handgun law.[7]

Following an 18-month investigation, on August 6, 2020, Letitia James, the New York Attorney General, filed a civil lawsuit against the NRA alleging fraud, financial misconduct, and misuse of charitable funds by some of its executives, including its long-time CEO and EVP Wayne LaPierre, treasurer Wilson Phillips, former chief of staff and current executive director of general operations Joshua Powell[8] and general counsel and secretary John Frazer. The suit calls for the dissolution of the NRA as being "fraught with fraud and abuse."[9][10][11] The lawsuit alleges that the NRA made payments directly to Marion Hammer, and made grants paid to USF. According to the lawsuit, in 2018 the NRA audit committee retroactively approved $3.69 million that the NRA had already paid to Hammer between 1998 and 2017.[12][13]

See also

References
  1. Van Sickler, Michael (September 7, 2020). "Update: NRA affiliate's low-interest loans to Marion Hammer are drawing national attention". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  2. "Detail by Entity Name Florida Not For Profit Corporation UNIFIED SPORTSMEN OF FLORIDA, INC". Florida Division of Corporations. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  3. "Florida NRA leader questions local coronavirus stats, suggests they're 'deliberately deceptive'". Tallahassee Democrat. May 26, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  4. Contorno, Steve (September 21, 2020). "NRA sway: For Florida officials, it's always Hammer time". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  5. Reinhard, Beth; Hamburger, Tom (September 6, 2019). "NRA board member and former president Marion Hammer obtained low-interest loan from affiliate she leads". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  6. Cole, David (2016). Engines of Liberty: The Power of Citizen Activists to Make Constitutional Law. Basic Books. p. 105. ISBN 978-0-465-06090-0.
  7. Smyth, Frank (March 31, 2020). "Nine. The Business Model". The NRA: the Unauthorized History (First ed.). New York: Flatiron Books. p. 102. ISBN 978-1-250-21029-6. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  8. "About the NRA", Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  9. Tim Mak (August 6, 2020). "New York Attorney General Moves To Dissolve The NRA After Fraud Investigation". NPR. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  10. Leonnig, Carol (August 6, 2020). "New York attorney general seeks to dissolve NRA in suit accusing gun rights group of wide-ranging fraud and self-dealing". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  11. Campbell, Jon (August 6, 2020). "New York attorney general files lawsuit to shut down the NRA". USA Today. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
  12. Fineout, Gary (August 7, 2020). "Payments to Florida lobbyist flagged in lawsuit against NRA". Politico. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  13. Call, James (August 22, 2019). "Low-interest loans trigger Florida lawmaker's renewed call for NRA, Marion Hammer investigation". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
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