The saga of NRA v. NRA Foundation does not seem to be settling down. A new website has been published and it alleges to share so-called “facts” on the conflict.
In early Jan. 2026, it was announced that the National Rifle Association filed a lawsuit against sister organization the NRA Foundation. The NRA, a 501(c)(4) is suing the Foundation, a 501(c)(3). The NRA alleges the Foundation is “repurposing millions of dollars that were contributed to support the NRA’s charitable programs,” that the Foundation is unlawfully using the NRA trademark — “trademark dilution,” and the foundation has “threatened misuse of approximately $160,000,000.” A webpage has been published and it claims to be sharing facts surrounding the case.
FoundationFacts.org was registered on January 26, 2026. The registrant of FoundationFacts.org is listed as “private” in the WHOIS database. The listed organization is Domains By Proxy, LLC.
An email message sent from [email protected] on Jan. 29 said the following:
John,
NRA Foundation Statement on Recent Litigation
Recent claims regarding the NRA Foundation have circulated publicly.
To provide clarity, transparency, and direct access to source materials, the NRA Foundation has published a fact-based website addressing these matters.
For accurate information, please visit:
FoundationFacts.org
The issue with the website is that its authenticity cannot be verified. Yes, the opening message on the webpage states the following:
This website is intended to provide clear, accurate information regarding The NRA Foundation, Inc. (“Foundation”), its mission, and its governance. Its purpose is to establish baseline facts, correct material mischaracterizations, and provide transparency regarding the Foundation’s legal obligations and operations.
However, there’s nothing on the site to indicate it’s published and/or maintained by the NRA Foundation, its officers, trustees, and/or employees.
A return query to the originating address [email protected] asked them to have Foundation leadership certify that the URL is in fact the official stance of the NRA Foundation. That query has gone unanswered. Another query via the NRA Foundation contact form was sent — also unanswered. And, a third query was put out to the speculated Foundation leadership directly.
While the actual Board of Trustees and officers of the Foundation at this current time is not 100 percent verified, based on former 990 filings as well as information obtained by Bearing Arms, the following speculated members/officers were contacted directly: President Tom King, Vice President Ronnie G. Barrett, Executive Director Peter Churchbourne, Treasurer David G. Coy, and Trustee Charles Cotton. An outside PR and consulting firm who is alleged to be handling media for the Foundation was also copied in the query.
The message sent to Foundation leadership specifically asked them to validate the website FoundationFacts.org as their own, and certify that the content is their official message — along with other questions. None of the Foundation’s presumed leadership team responded. To date, the NRA Foundation has ignored over six requests for comment/information dating back to October 2025 — months prior to the NRA filing their suit.
NRA Secretary John Frazer did not respond to a request seeking information about the website in question.
The webpage FoundationFacts.org lacks any of the traditional branding of the NRA Foundation webpage and there’s no other messages therein showing pedigree.
The NRA v. NRA Foundation lawsuit was filed on Jan. 5, 2026. According to the complaint, the NRA is being represented by the Baker & Hostetler LLP law firm. Filing documents indicate that the NRA Foundation is being represented by DLA Piper.
The 2024 990 for the NRA Foundation notes that DLA Piper was paid $2,633,926.00 for “legal services.” In 2023 the Foundation paid DLA Piper $3,993,497.00, 2022 they paid $4,444,098.00, and they are not listed on the 2021 990.
In 2021, Schlam Stone & Dolan LLP was paid $946,089.00 for legal services. In 2020, Schlam Stone & Dolan LLP was paid $1,580,343.00 and Neal & Harwell, PLC was paid $101,525.00 for legal services. In 2019, Schlam Stone & Dolan LLP was paid $432,742.00 for legal services.
The legal bills for the NRA Foundation have nearly quadrupled when comparing the most recent three-year period examined with DLA Piper (over 11 million dollars) versus the three-year period examined with Schlam Stone & Dolan LLP and Neal & Harwell, PLC. (3.06 million dollars).
The NRA Foundation secured DLA Piper for a 2020 civil action filed against them by the District of Columbia, however it appears they initially used Schlam Stone & Dolan LLP. Looking at the filing documents, Schlam Stone & Dolan LLP was used in a final filing towards the end of 2021 and by Feb. 2022, it appears DLA Piper took over the case.
In 2022, 2023, and 2024 DLA Piper was paid for legal services amounting to over 11 million dollars — the firm charged the Foundation nearly four times more than their prior representation (4.69 times more from 2021 to 2022 alone, when the case changed hands). The 2020 case District of Columbia v. NRA Foundation was resolved by April 2024 via consent judgment.
The 2025 990 for the NRA Foundation is not yet available.
DLA Piper says on its website that business objectives and legal strategies are intricately interconnected. “Our team helps you efficiently resolve your dispute – whether that’s through requesting an early settlement in litigation or representing you throughout arbitration proceedings,” their website notes. “Our solutions are tailored to your needs.”
DLA Piper previously represented Jordan’s King Abdullah II concerning “media-related matters.” At the time, Abdullah was under scrutiny for alleged misappropriations of funds.
“News reports based on the Pandora Papers said King Abdullah had spent more than $100 million on luxury homes in Britain and the United States,” a Reuters article from 2021 stated. “DLA Piper said in an earlier statement on behalf of King Abdullah that he had ‘not at any point misused public monies or made any use whatsoever of the proceeds of aid or assistance intended for public use.’”
The pedigree of FoundationFacts.org is likely commissioned by the Foundation, however why they won’t certify via correspondence that it is their content remains a mystery. The Foundation through DLA Piper, one of their contractors, and/or another firm is probably behind the content — but there’s no way to say for certain. Until it’s verified that the content is the official stance of the Foundation and they’ve stated so in writing or some other acceptable manner, readers who visit FoundationFacts.org should proceed with caution with what they read.
The NRA v. NRA Foundation story is developing and we’ll continue to provide updates as they become available. At this juncture, the publicly available and/or verified information is limited: allegations by the NRA via the suit and a press release, Foundation President Tom King declining to comment via email, and NRA Foundation’s singular statement came from an outside PR and consulting firm.
Author’s Note: NRA Foundation trustees, officers, and/or employees are invited to reach out to me for an on–or-off-the-record interview. My door is open; you know how to get a hold of me.
For prior and associated coverage on this topic see:
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