Those who are involved in the gun rights battle in Minnesota are likely familiar with the name Minnesota Gun Rights (MGR). The organization claims to be Minnesota’s no-compromise gun rights organization but as far as anybody can tell the organization is just a front to relieve gullible gun owners of their money. Between the organization’s shady ties and the evasiveness of its supporters whenever they’re asked what MGR does it isn’t difficult to see why many, including myself, believe it to be a scam.
It appears that MGR has been unable to fool even the biggest scam artists in Minnesota, the politicians. I was made aware of letter signed by several Minnesota politicians that warned gun owners of MGR and noted that legal action has been initiated against the organization. The original document can be found here [PDF]. For those who don’t want to open a PDF file here is the text of the document:
An open letter to our constituents, and to all Minnesota gun owners:
As your representatives, we are committed to protecting and restoring your Second Amendment rights, and we are fortunate to have many allies and supporters in this mission. Unfortunately, there are also fakers – people who would take advantage of you, and claim to fight for your gun rights, while doing nothing, and sometimes hurting them, all to get your money.
One such pretender is a fund-raising operation in Des Moines, calling itself “Minnesota Gun Rights.” This operation, like its affiliate, “National Association for Gun Rights” (NAGR) relies on constant postal mailings, warning you of terrible gun control if you don’t send them money.
We are on the front lines, fighting for your gun rights every day at the State Capitol, and we can tell you: we’ve never seen these Iowans fight for Minnesotans’ gun rights. They have not helped us to write and pass pro-2A legislation, they haven’t brought supporters to the Capitol, and they haven’t even mentioned the pro-rights bills we’ve advanced this year, including Rep. Anderson’s suppressor legalization, Rep. Nash’s Capitol carry notification bill, Rep, Lucero’s interstate sales bill, Rep. Fabian’s carry reciprocity bill, or Rep. Newberger’s emergency powers bill.
Instead, these Iowa schemers have attacked strong pro-Second Amendment legislators – legislators like us, who are working for your rights – when those legislators don’t pledge loyalty to these pretenders. They have attacked our party leadership, and the real, grassroots organizations that have worked for decades to pass right to carry, range protection, and stand your ground, and who were key in blocking a raft of gun control bills in the last legislative cycle.
Worst of all, they are fraudulently using the name and signature of one of our pro-rights legislators, Glenn Gruenhagen, to fundraise from Iowa.
Although Rep. Gruenhagen, once, long ago, as a favor to a constituent, allowed the operation to use his name, he has repeatedly ordered this group to stop using his name, but they continue to fraudulently send letters over his signature. Rep. Gruenhagen has been forced to initiate legal action against these fraudsters.
We urge you to exercise caution when you hear from people who claim to fight for your rights. We depend on real grassroots Second Amendment groups like the NRA, Gun Owners Civil Rights Alliance (GOCRA) and the Minnesota Gun Owners Political Action Committee (MNGOPAC) to help us fight for your rights, and we urge you to support these groups.
Don’t be fooled by the fake, out-of-state “Minnesota Gun Rights.” They’re not working with us, and they’re not working for you.
If you have any questions, we always want to hear from our constituents, and we urge you to contact us.
There isn’t much else to say about MGR. If it can’t even convince politicians, which usually takes nothing more than lining their pockets with a bit of cash, that its a legitimate organization then there really is no hope left.
Again I will urge my fellow gun owners here in Minnesota to refrain from giving money to MGR. Nothing I have seen so far leads me to believe that the organization is anything other than a massive scam and even its supporters seem entirely unwilling to discuss what the organization has done other than hold biannual super secret meetings that are never publicly announced.