On Saturday, The Daily Beast reported that documents posted online reveal the National Rifle Association is racking up a truly astonishing amount of legal fees as it faces down a number of serious controversies: over $24 million since last year to an outside lawyer named Bill Brewer, or about $97,000 a day.
The source of the documents appears to have been Oliver North, who was just ousted as president of the NRA following a heated civil war among its top leadership.
In a confidential memo included in the dump, North and fellow NRA official Richard Childress warned that "the Brewer invoices are draining NRA cash at mindboggling speed," and "pose an existential threat to the financial stability of the NRA."
The NRA is currently facing a number of problems, including allegations that top officials misused assets and brokered improper vending contracts with advertising agency and longtime partner Ackerman McQueen for their own personal enrichment — allegations that could put the organization at risk of losing its tax-exempt status.
The gun rights organization has also claimed in court filings that investigations and lawsuits by the state of New York threatened their ability to secure financial services. Meanwhile they are dealing with the embarrassment of the ongoing prosecution of an admitted Russian agent who allegedly infiltrated their organization as a means of manipulating the Republican Party.