The NRA is bringing in less money — and spending more on legal fees — as members jump ship. That’s the big picture assessment from an August 2021 financial document prepared for the NRA Finance Committee that was obtained by The Reload. At $165 million through August, the NRA’s revenue had fallen by close to half since 2018 and was nearly $20 million short of its own projections for last year. Declining membership dues played a big factor in the revenue drop as overall membership also fell to the lowest level since 2017. Meanwhile, legal fees made up some 20 percent of all expenses, coming in at $31 million in total. Major cost cutting: The organization had a budget surplus through the fall, but it achieved that by spending less. The bulk of costs covered acquiring members and legal expenses. Brian Mittendorf, an accounting professor at The Ohio State University who has studied the NRA’s finances, said the financial documents show an organization that has seen a “remarkable” financial decline since 2016. “Their budget is sustainable, but at what point do members see a huge chunk of the money is going towards legal costs and the primary programs have really been gutted?” he told The Reload. In a statement to The Reload, NRA spokesperson Amy Hunter said the report in question was “outdated” and “unaudited,” while adding that it is, “as objective observers agree, very positive.” Hunter in part blamed the pandemic for the NRA’s financial position.