Illinois State Rifle Association donates $98,000 to gun-ban group

ISRA PAYS HUGE $98,000 JUDGEMENT TO ICHV
Refuses insurance company payoff contingent upon removal of Vandermyde, Flanagan from Board

Chatsworth, IL (GunNews) The Illinois State Rifle Association Second Vice-President Todd Vandermyde and former director Peter Flanagan had a good idea when they registered a new, gun-rights friendly "Illinois Coalition Against Handgun Violence, Inc." with the Secretary of State's office in 2002. The "old" ICHV had failed to properly renew its corporate registration with the State of Illinois in 2001 and as such, the 25-year-old corporation which lobbied tirelessly against civil rights technically no longer existed.

Problems arose in May and June 2002 when the "new" coalition with Vandermyde as its spokesman issued press releases claiming the ICHV now supported gun rights legislation in Illinois.

At this point, ICHV's attorneys became involved claiming trademark infringement and sought a restraining order from federal court barring further releases. A short time later, the ISRA agreed to stop using ICHV's name and in return, the old ICHV would not sue the ISRA.

The matter of legal fees incurred by the old ICHV remained, and ICHV sought reimbursement of roughly $210,000 spent on lawyers. U.S. District Judge James Zagel ruled in March 2003 that the ISRA would be liable for $98,013.20.

The ISRA allegedly characterized the registration of the new "ICHV" as "as overly cute joke."

A cute joke, stupid stunt or waste of money?

The Illinois State Rifle Association, it has been reported by sources close to the ISRA leadership, sought to have
its insurance company pick up the tab for the wreckless misadventure of two of its inner circle, Vandermyde and Flanagan, as well as Flanagan's wife, Medina.

The insurance company allegedly agreed to pay the award, our source says, if Vandermyde and Flanagan were both barred from holding any position of leadership in ISRA in perpetuity.

ISRA's President Richard Pearson, apparently with the blessing of the ISRA's Board of Directors, chose to pay the award from ISRA's assets rather than remove Vandermyde as Second Vice-President.

We have confirmed that the ISRA did in fact pay the judgement to the ICHV in September with a check drawn from its money market fund.

The ISRA's business office and President Richard Pearson were each contacted by GunNews for comment. Neither responded to comment on the allegations.

GunNews was unable to uncover how much additional money was spent in legal costs incurred by the ISRA defending the organization and Mssrs. Vandermyde and Flanagan for their "overly cute joke."

TODD IS AN ENEMY OF GUN RIGHT OWNERS. HE IS OUT FOR HIMSELF AND TO MAKE HIMESELF POPULAR.
I KNOW HE IS ONLY AFTER THE MONEY THAT IS AT HIS DISPOSAL AT THE ISRA.

IF YOU ARE A MEMBER GET OUT NOW.
PEOPLE TRIED TO WARN FOLKS ABOUT HIM BUT NO ONE LISTENED, OF COURSE HIS TRUE COLORS FINALLY SURFACED.
HE IS A WOLF IN SHEEPS CLOTHING.

ZAHM: Friend or Foe of Gun Owner Rights?

Wednesday, June 04, 2003

By Jon Zahm (jon@goliathslayers.com)

State Rep. Patricia Lindner (R-Sugar Grove) was endorsed by the Illinois Rifle Association, but voted to close gun show loopholes last week.

State Rep Harry Osterman (D-Chicago) is a staunch supporter of gun control.

Freshman State Rep. Linda Chapa Lavia (D-Aurora) is sending mixed messages on gun rights to her constitutents.
OPINION -- Senate Bill 947 passed the Illinois House with the bare minimum of 60 "yea" votes on May 28 to move the legislation on to the Illinois Senate. Fortunately, the Senate did not take up consideration of the bill, as amended. A shell bill, however, of SB 947 passed on March 27 by a 32-16-2-9 vote, with all Democrats, plus Rev. Meeks, voting in the affirmative.

What would SB 947 do if it became law? Proponents, like sponsor Rep. Harry Osterman (D-Chicago), call it "the closing of the gun show loophole."

Under this bill, two private individuals who meet at a gun show, even in the parking lot, would have to submit to Illinois State Police background checks on one another to sell, or even trade, firearms. This is an onerous and unnecessary burden on the United States' and Illinois' Constitution's guarantee to keep and bear arms.

The stated purpose of this legislation is to keep guns from the hands of people who would use them for criminal purposes. Gangbangers and felons do not shop at gun shows. Even if they did, they could make their connection at a show with an individual (presuming one would comply, which I doubt) and take the transaction off of the property to circumvent the law.

When I reviewed the roll call I found two names particularly troubling. First, my former State Representative Patricia Reid Lindner (R-Sugar Grove) voted for this bill. I remember telling ISRA (Illinois State Rifle Association) lobbyist Todd Vandermyde and ISRA PAC Chairman Jim Vinopal that the only pro-gun owner rights candidate in the 2002 Republican Primary for Lindner's seat was Wade Joyner (R-Plano).

Having served as Wade's campaign manager, I knew the sincerity of his position and he expressed it publicly at an Aurora Sportsman's Club meeting where opponents Lindner and Edward Sleezer (R-Millbrook) refused to endorse personal protection (a.k.a.conceal and carry) legislation.

Vandermyde, present at this Sportsman's meeting, still insisted on manipulating an endorsement of Lindner by the ISRA and parent NRA, backed up by a post card and automated telephone call campaign to identified gun rights supporters. He justified this by saying to those who questioned the wisdom of the endorsement that Lindner is "there when we need her."

Todd, where was she on May 28? She was casting the 60th vote for passage of the bill.

Another politician who let down her constituents on SB 947 is State Representative Linda Chapa LaVia (D-Aurora). She insisted to several of my conservative Republican friends in Aurora that she would be an advocate of Second Amendment rights, more so than RINO Republican Robert O'Connor (R-Aurora). With that information in tow, and similar promises of moderation with regards to immigration and abortion issues, they rallied support behind the scenes for Chapa LaVia, as she pulled out a close race. Her record on the other issues has been shaky as well.

With lobbyists who don't serve the cause well, and flip-flopping politicians, freedom for gun owner rights is under threat. We, as conservatives, need to be very careful where we place our memberships and funding. The future of gun owner rights is at STAKE.

Jon Zahm
Jon Zahm, a political consultant and activist in Illinois since 1987 is the President of Goliath Slayer Communications, a political and non-profit consulting firm.

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