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Douglas Hamlin is an American publisher and businessman who has been chief executive officer (CEO) and executive vice president (EVP) of the National Rifle Association (NRA) since 2024.

Raised in Michigan, Hamlin served the United States Marine Corps for six years before working in publishing. He worked for the Petersen Publishing Company, publishing Motor Trend and Guns & Ammo. He joined the NRA as executive director of publications in 2013, where the NRA credited him with saving the organization US$30 million by improving efficiency. He was appointed CEO and EVP in May 2024, marketed as a reformist against previous CEO Wayne LaPierre. After being appointed CEO, a case resurfaced where Hamlin and four Alpha Delta Phi fraternity members at the University of Michigan murdered a cat in 1979, leading to calls to suspend Hamlin.

Early life and career

Douglas Hamlin was raised in Michigan. He was an infantry weapons officer and recruiter for the United States Marine Corps for six years before working in publishing. He worked for the Petersen Publishing Company for 14 years and was the vice president and group publisher for Motor Trend and publisher of Guns & Ammo from 1991 to 1995. In the 1990s, he founded autoMedia Solutions, an automotive news company.

1979 animal cruelty incident

On December 6, 1979, Hamlin, who was an undergraduate and president of the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity at the University of Michigan, murdered B.K., a cat, alongside four other fraternity members. According to local media, the members removed the paws from the cat, hung it on a tree, and burned it to death due to failing to use a litter box. While Hamlin's role in the killing is unclear, judge S.J. Elden blamed Hamlin for not using his power as president to prevent the killing.

After the killing, the sorority members were removed and other students and animal rights advocates wore armbands and buttons in memory of B.K. According to sorority cook Earl Carl, the sorority attempted to cover up the killing, telling members not to cooperate with law enforcement or the media and physically threatening those who spoke out. Carl described Hamlin as "one of three people directly putting pressure on me to say nothing to the media or the police" and did not return to work after reporting the killing. The sorority members were charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty, to which they pleaded no contest in March 1980. They were fined US$360, given one year deferred sentences, and sentenced to 200 hours of animal-related community service. The criminal records of the members were expunged after the community service.

The case resurfaced in a report by The Guardian after Hamlin became CEO of the NRA. Nick Suplina, senior vice president for law and policy for Everytown for Gun Safety, said that "his revelation shows that the NRA has failed to turn the page on its scandal-plagued leaders and its doom spiral continues with Hamlin at the helm". In response to a request for comment from The Independent, Hamlin said:

I do not in any way condone the actions that took place more than 44 years ago.

I took responsibility for this regrettable incident as chapter president although I wasn’t directly involved. Since that time I served my country, raised a family, volunteered in my community, started a business, worked with Gold Star families, and raised millions of dollars for charity. I’ve endeavored to live my life in a manner beyond reproach.

My focus now is on protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.

External image
Anonymous letter to the NRA board of directors urging them to suspend Hamlin

After the case resurfaced, anonymous employees sent a letter to the NRA board of directors asking them to suspend Hamlin, saying that "f something is not done, Doug Hamlin will destroy any chances of a NRA comeback".

National Rifle Association

Hamlin joined the NRA in 2014 and served as executive director of NRA Publications. According to the NRA, he saved the organization US$30 million as executive director of publications by increasing the efficiency of production and moving production of America's First Freedom in-house. In 2018, he was accused by a group of whistleblowers of receiving around US$25,000 in inappropriate reimbursements on living expenses from then-CEO Wayne LaPierre, which was used as evidence in a 2018 lawsuit between the state of New York and the NRA. LaPierre named Hamlin as a possible successor of his during the NRA's 2021 bankruptcy filing.

I am truly humbled to be elected by the NRA Board of Directors as the next Executive Vice President & CEO of the NRA. Our Association is at a decisive moment in our history, and the future of America and constitutional freedoms depends on the success of the NRA. I look forward to working with NRA staff to execute NRA’s gold standard programs and promote political and public policies that are in the best interest of our members and all gun owners.

On May 20, 2024, the NRA board of directors elected Hamlin, who was described as a reformist against LaPierre loyalists, as chief executive officer and executive vice president, following the resignation of LaPierre amid corruption allegations. After his appointment, Hamlin appointed Randy Kozuch as executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action and Joseph P. De Bergalis Jr. as executive director of NRA general operations. Before Hamlin's appointment, an open letter of anonymous NRA employees asked the board not to appoint Hamlin, saying he "operates entirely in the red and doesn’t know how to run an organization".

After he was appointed CEO, Hamlin vowed to rebuild the NRA, attempting to regain members lost under LaPierre, grow NRA training programs, and support the growing amount of women and minority groups using guns. He set a membership goal of 10 million, which would be a record high and 6 million more than the organization had when he was appointed CEO.

After his selection as CEO, Hamlin fought with president Bob Barr, a LaPierre loyalist, former U.S. Representative, and the Libertarian candidate in the 2008 United States presidential election, who was elected alongside Hamlin.

Publications

• "Tim Walz, Second Amendment opportunist". The Washington Times. August 15, 2024.

References

1. ^ Kirchgaessner, Stephanie (October 14, 2024). "NRA chief involved in gruesome cat killing as college fraternity member". The Guardian. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
2. ^ Lickenbrock, Greg (May 21, 2024). "NRA Taps Head of Gun Publications to Replace Wayne LaPierre". The Smoking Gun. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
3. Golgowski, Nina (October 16, 2024). "New NRA Chief Was Once Involved In The Torture, Killing Of A Cat". HuffPost. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
4. ^ Mead, Maggie (October 16, 2024). "NRA Chief's Fraternity Days Come Under Scrutiny After Disturbing Claims Emerge". The Mary Sue. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
5. ^ "NRA chief involved in gruesome cat killing while at college, unearthed report shows". The Independent. October 15, 2024. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
6. Kirchgaessner, Stephanie (October 17, 2024). "NRA faces pressure to suspend CEO after revelation of sadistic cat killing". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
7. Van Sant, Will (May 30, 2024). "The NRA's Post-LaPierre Leadership Includes an Election Denier and Execs Tied to Its Financial Issues". The Trace. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
8. "NRA gets new bosses after ex-leader Wayne LaPierre's spending scandal". Associated Press. CBS News. May 21, 2024. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
9. Bedard, Paul (June 14, 2024). "NRA under new management". Washington Examiner. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
10. Hakim, Danny; Christobek, Kate (July 28, 2024). "At the N.R.A., a Battle Between the Old Guard and the New". The New York Times. Retrieved November 19, 2024.

Primary sources

In the text these references are preceded by a double dagger (‡):

1. ^ "Doug Hamlin: NRA's New CEO & EVP". NRA Shooting Illustrated. July 29, 2024. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
2. ^ "Bob Barr elected NRA President, Doug Hamlin elected as NRA Executive Vice President & CEO". National Rifle Association (Press release). Outdoor News. May 21, 2024. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
3. Parker, John (July 30, 2024). "NRA CEO & EVP Doug Hamlin Says 'Return On The Investment The Members Have Made In The NRA Is Undeniable'". NRA Shooting Sports USA. Retrieved November 20, 2024.

• Living people
• 20th-century American publishers (people)
• 21st-century American publishers (people)
• Executive vice presidents of the National Rifle Association