There's Something About Mary: Unmasking a Gun Lobby Mole
Mary McFate was a prominent gun control activist. Mary Lou Sapone was a freelance spy with an NRA connection. They are the same person. A Mother Jones investigation.
By James Ridgeway, Daniel Schulman, and David Corn
This is the story of two Marys. Both are in their early 60s, heavyset, with curly reddish hair. But for years they have worked on opposite ends of the same issues. Mary McFate is an advocate of environmental causes and a prominent activist within the gun control movement. For more than a decade, she volunteered for various gun violence prevention organizations, serving on the boards of anti-gun outfits, helping state groups coordinate their activities, lobbying in Washington for gun control legislation, and regularly attending strategy and organizing meetings.
Mary Lou Sapone, by contrast, is a self-described "research consultant," who for decades has covertly infiltrated citizens groups for private security firms hired by corporations that are targeted by activist campaigns. For some time, Sapone also worked for the National Rifle Association.
But these two Marys share a lot in common—a Mother Jones investigation has found that McFate and Sapone are, in fact, the same person. And this discovery has caused the leaders of gun violence prevention organizations to conclude that for years they have been penetrated—at the highest levels—by the NRA or other pro-gun parties. "It raises the question," says Paul Helmke, the president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, "of what did she find out and what did they want her to find out."
Using her maiden name, McFate, Sapone began posing as a gun control activist in the mid-1990s. Bryan Miller, the executive director of Ceasefire New Jersey, a grassroots gun control group, recalls first meeting her in the summer of 1998. The NRA was holding its annual convention in downtown Philadelphia, and the event drew the usual bevy of protesters. Among them was a middle-aged woman then living in Pennsylvania who made a point of introducing herself to Miller. In the following years, Miller would remember this encounter well, as he watched McFate rise from a street protester to a figure known nationally within his movement. She became a leader of Pennsylvanians Against Handgun Violence and later a board member of Ceasefire Pennsylvania. According to staffers at several gun violence prevention groups, she worked on the Million Mom March in 2000, when hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated in Washington, DC, to demand stricter gun laws. She joined the board of Freedom States Alliance, a network of nine state-based gun control organizations. At States United to Prevent Gun Violence, a nationwide coalition of anti-gun groups, she was the director of federal legislation, an unpaid position that placed her in charge of the outfit's lobbying efforts in Washington. In that role, she collaborated with national organizations including the Brady Campaign and the Violence Policy Center.
In 2005, McFate ran for a board position at the Brady Campaign, which would have placed her in the inner sanctum of the nation's most prominent gun control group. On her ballot statement, she described herself as a "community activist and motivational speaker," "a former presidential scholar," and a recipient of the "Public Service Council's Community Champion Award in 1999." And she pitched her credentials for the position: "I believe my volunteerism over 30 years to nonprofit organizations with disparate program goals has given me practical insights on what strategies are most effective…My experience with broad coalitions working together for societal change has proven to me that our organization is on the right track to make our neighborhoods safer and to give our children their full life potential."
McFate lost the election, but she did not give up. Several months ago, she told Paul Helmke that she was interested in an appointed board position for the Brady Campaign. (Helmke recalls that he was concerned about placing her on his board because she was already deeply connected to other groups. "I didn't push the idea," he says.) In 2007, she attended a summit convened by the International Association of Chiefs of Police that aimed to develop a strategy for reducing gun violence. As an advocate working with both state and national groups, she was privy to the gun control movement's community's internal deliberations and in a position to know what was happening throughout the movement. "She's been active in everything and involved in every single major gun violence prevention organization," says Barbara Hohlt, executive director of States United to Prevent Gun Violence.
Despite her supposed commitment to the cause, her friends and colleagues in the gun control community considered McFate something of a curiosity. Among other things, she had a tendency to drop in and out of contact, explaining away her absences by saying she had been vacationing aboard luxury cruise liners. When the Brady Campaign's communications director, Paul Hamm, occasionally asked her to talk to the media about gun issues, she adamantly refused. "I would say, 'Please, Mary.' She would say, 'No, no, no, I don't want to.'"
Looking back, gun control advocates who worked with McFate can now see what might have been faint warning signs. A few weeks ago, Hohlt says, she had what she considered an odd encounter with McFate when the pair was making preparations to take part in a conference call with other gun control advocates. Rather than face a long-distance charge for the call, McFate, who lives in Florida but was in New York City at the time, insisted on dropping by the offices of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence to participate in the discussion. Given that McFate appeared to be well off financially—she was always offering to travel to meetings and conferences, including NRA conferences, with no concern for cost—Hohlt couldn't understand why she was demanding to come to this office for the call just to save a few bucks. Nor could she fathom why McFate often pushed to share a hotel room with other gun control advocates at conferences and events when she seemed able to afford accommodations of her own. Hohlt also thought it unusual that McFate served on the boards of several organizations simultaneously, since there was, as Hohlt puts it, "a certain amount of competition between all the groups." But she never doubted McFate's devotion to gun control.
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Gun Control's "True Believers" are easily duped.
They already had been, long before Mary came along to rub their easily duped noses in it.
That's why they believe what they believe in the first place, and nothing like Facts will ever make a dent in "The Faith".
Firearms are a necessary check-and-balance against tyrannical governments.
Our Constitution is hanging by a thread under the Bush/Cheney regime. This is certainly no time to be blathering about gun control! Wake-up!!!
["The McFate operation, says Miller, "would confirm for me the way that the gun lobby works, which is no rules, no question of fairness or honesty."]
Just as the Bruce Falconer "Semi-Automatic For the People" aka: "Bush to Cops - Drop Dead" article proves the same about the gun control lobby.
At least Mary wasn't passing off misinformation, hyperbole and downright lies to the public, calling it "Journalism".
There is are two very large questions unanswered by the piece:
Did she do anything (demonstrably) illegal? Can these gun control groups file criminal or civil charges?
When was the last time civilians with guns won their "freedom" from a tyranical government?
Well, if you live in the
Well, if you live in the United States of America, you should know the answer to that question. Personal gun ownership is what keeps this country free. The 2nd amendment props up all the others. Without it, freedom ceases to exist, and tyranny rears it's ugly head.
Are you kidding??? Since
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Are you kidding??? Since when has the USA been free, perhaps once, long ago but these days ? No way ! If freedom is the right to maim and kill (not only in the US but abroad too) then perhaps yes, you are free (to do what you want, regardless of law and consequences). It seems to me that with your civilian rights eroded to a point of virtual non-existence, constantly monitored communications, consumer profiling and the eradication of a free press, FREEDOM is NOT a word which covers or defines this state of affairs.
One of the first things Hitler & other dictators did was disarm the public. You know what happened after that.
["When was the last time civilians with guns won their "freedom" from a tyranical government?']
Happened in the USA as recently as 1946.
Read and learn:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Athens_(1946)
Actually, it's not "only gun makers" that profit. The gun-control industry does quite well too.
A question more to the point would be when was the last time a well armed population was subjected to anything like the Nazi's death camps, or the Cambodian genocide perpetrated by Pol Pot & his communist regime?
IS there no legal issues either criminal or civil which the gun control and animal rights group can use to expose the intelligence gathering for what it is.
Why does Mary Lou hate America so much? Snark, snark
I just really fail to understand how business can consider themselves ethical and/or good for this nation and its people if they do thes type of things just to protect their bottom line. It would seem to me that the issue really lies in the power with which groups and business who hire the likes of Mary Lou feel they need to use operatives to gather information which keeps them in business. IF Americans want change and we ask our businesses and communites/governments to change then what does it mean to the public to find out that all of our efforts were for not because some intelligence gathering and back room meetings decided the future that we will have ot live with.
I'm not big on guns, but I think the American Revolution is a good example of an instance where civilians with guns ousted a "tyranical government". Anybody that thinks that being able to buy assault weapons without any documentation in a crime-ridden city is essential to America's "freedom" didn't think things through properly though. Gun Control is some places in the united states is more reasonable than in others. Perhaps an issue this contencious is best left to the state and local governments to decide.
And if we had any guts, we'd have already eliminated the greatest threat to our freedoms -- Bush and Cheney.
Seven shootings in Washington on Monday night -- three dead. Possible connection with Supreme Court ruling?
Allow people to buy all the guns they want. Make ammunition illegal.
Come on! The Nazi's death camps, & Cambodian genocide perpetrated by Pol Pot are modern history, many people from which are still living today. (It's not like they happened in 2000 B.C. or something, if that's what you're trying to imply.)
["Allow people to buy all the guns they want. Make ammunition illegal."]
Sure.
It's bound to work at least as well as making heroin & marijuana illegal.
Work well at making millionaires out of criminals willing to deal in an illegal article, that is.
Prohibition ALWAYS works.
Just not the way the proponents BELIEVE it's going to work.
["Seven shootings in Washington on Monday night -- three dead. Possible connection with Supreme Court ruling?"]
If you can illustrate that the seven shootings (or even ONE of them) were committed with guns legally bought and held in DC AFTER the S.C. ruling, I'll eat my pistol grips.
"...It's not like they happened in 2000 B.C. or something, if that's what you're trying to imply."
What I'm trying to imply is that the Nazi death camps and Pol Pot's reign of terror do NOT happen to generally well armed populations.
I've had an experience of a spy infiltrating a group that I belong to. It was just last month and that gentleman is still in the hosptital. And I put him there. I'd do the same thing to this old broad. These people are bullies and cowards and the only thing they understand is violence. Well the Army trained me well and I'm more than happy to use it.
Anonymously threatening violence against a grandmother! And on an internet message board, no less!
I AM impressed!
If you see her, go ahead and try it.
I'm bettin' she's packin'.
And I'm bettin' you're a big-mouthed panzy hiding safely behind his keyboard and monitor.
now THIS is real reporting. We need more reporting and less commentary. Great job!
Florida. A hive of spies and villainy.
LOL!
What gun do you have to stand up to the US military? That is a complete joke.
Only 992 years till Y3K!
"Firearms are a necessary check-and-balance against tyrannical governments.
Our Constitution is hanging by a thread under the Bush/Cheney regime. This is certainly no time to be blathering about gun control! Wake-up!!! "
You can't stop people like this. No matter how much violence you promise them!
The people who hire them must be stopped. These are the people who make more money than God, and nothing is beyond their ability to pay for anything they want. Ethics is for suckers.
"At meetings, activists would later say, Sapone advocated taking illegal or violent action to advance the movement. "
All the pro gun comments here are idiotic, Its Perfectly Obvious et al are just proto Jim D. Adkissons, looking for some gay unitarians to beat up on.
And the guy threatening violence needs to be banned.
PS they cant confiscate your guns, the supreme court ruled on it, so stf about hitler.
Maybe if she had gone with McLovin instead of McFate, whe would never have been found out.
Battle of Athens (from the citation in the Wikipedia article) -
http://www.jpfo.org/filegen-a-m/athens.htm
Short of firearms and ammunition, the GIs scoured the county to find them. By borrowing keys to the National Guard and State Guard armories, they got three M-1 rifles, five .45 semi-automatic pistols and 24 British Enfield rifles. The armories were nearly empty after the war's end. By 8 p.m. a group of GIs and "local boys" headed for the jail but left the back door unguarded to give the jail's defenders an easy way out.
So they used National Guard weapons and ammunition. How does this bolster your argument?
right wing fascists have no trouble lying, cheating and stealing in order to have control over you and impose their will upon you - this gash is no different
For "Only Gunmakers Profit":
I'd refer you to that cause celebre of the left known as the Spanish Civil War. Sure, Franco won in the end - but it took him a while. It would have been a lot quicker with sticks and stones though.
So she "penetrated" gun control organizations. Whats the big deal? Whats the big secret? We all know their agenda is to repeal the second amendment. I would think they have nothing to hide.
Me, protecting my family and home is paramount, as I know in civil insurrection (riot), the government will not be there for me. Any one who believes otherwise is a fool, who didn't see what happened in the Watts riots.
And yes a few handguns will do that job nicely.
An astounding article. Thank you so much. Moles are everywhere! Wonder how the NRA will be without her.
At least the anti-civil rights, anti-choice crowd finally admits the NRA is the American people, distinct from the firearms manufacturers:
"Shocked to learn that McFate was a spy, gun control advocates have pondered the obvious questions:...To whom in the gun lobby did she report? The NRA? The firearms manufacturing industry?"
The 'New' licensing requirements have not yet gone into effect in DC, so in fact your posts is more evidence of what we know, MORE GUNS=LESS CRIME
["So they used National Guard weapons and ammunition. How does this bolster your argument?"]
Do you recall what the original question was?
"When was the last time civilians with guns won their "freedom" from a tyranical government?"
It didn't stipulate that all the guns used had to be owned by those who used them against tyrants.
They were "short of" guns, not "without" guns. So they went and got more and did what needed doing.
Our Revolution against England found us short of guns, too. So we took a lot of them from the Brits.
It's still citizens with guns, overthrowing tyrannical government, any way you slice it.
Sounds like she worked for both and fought against both. An entirely modern US woman.
I think this supports the difference between the right and left. The left tends to be honest and work within the system while the right tends to use extremes, deceipt and violence.
Uh yeah, the populace needs guns to keep check on the government. Are you kidding? Do you have any idea what the US military and the US police forces have at their disposal? Have you seen the latest developements in crowd control? We wouldn't stand a chance if the military was used against the populace. The Zulu's had it better against British (or was it the Boers? don't remember). The point is the best weapons we could come up with wouldn't stand a chance against our current armed forces.
I believe in the right to bear arms. But the reason of standing against a corrupt or tyrannical government just doesn't work anymore.
Posted by:Pheed YirhedJuly 30, 2008 2:19:36 PM
You can't stop people like this. No matter how much violence you promise them!
The people who hire them must be stopped. These are the people who make more money than God, and nothing is beyond their ability to pay for anything they want. Ethics is for suckers.
-Pheed Yirhed,
You would not be talking about the small / marginally profitable businesses that manufacture firearms, Would you?
the insurgents in iraq seem to be doing pretty well against the US Military.
This despicable subterfuge undercuts the principles of Democracy. The right should be more outraged by this then the left, but they have largely devolved into the Rove/Maciavellian concept of winning is everything, regardless of how you do it. I'd love to see which face she presents to St. Peter.
Wow! this artice just inspired me to make another donation to the NRA. I'm real glad that they are using the money we give them to hire spy's to monitor what the panty wetters are up to next. Too bad Mary got caught.
"Firearms are a necessary check-and-balance against tyrannical governments.
Our Constitution is hanging by a thread under the Bush/Cheney regime. This is certainly no time to be blathering about gun control! Wake-up!!!
Posted by:Truth"
Yes, because your glock and a few rifles are going to do anything against a FREAKING TANK and BOMBERS. Idiot.
You see here the two americas....one is volunteer and people based, the other is Money and Corporation based.
The reason why they can infiltrate OUR ranks is that we need volunteers and have open meetings, and because they have tons of money to throw at these things.
On the other hand, The People do not have extra time and money laying around to throw at covert operations....AND you cannot get into their world. There is no volunteering, no open meetings. There is only Assassin's Pay for the unconnected. For the connected there is the patronage system and nepotism.
"Yes, because your glock and a few rifles are going to do anything against a FREAKING TANK and BOMBERS. Idiot."
Posted by Jason
Right. Like the men and women in the US Airforce are willingly going to bomb Omaha.
As if the US Army's tank divisions are going to flatten their parents homes in Cleveland.
Moron.
Its all fair game. Ask Josh Sugarmann, Exec Director of the Violence Policy Center (anti-gun group) why he needs a license to deal firearms (FFL). He said it was for "research."
So many idiots; so many guns... Every day children are killed playing with their parents guns - something else the NRA are proud of I guess.
Good for her! Gun control organizations are conspiracies to deprive people of a basic civil liberty. This is no different from the SPLC having moles in the Aryan nation.
Women Prominent in Defense Movement
Seventh in a Series: The Rise of the Counterinsurgents
http://www.washingtonindependent.com/view/women-prominent-in
Liberal gun-owner again...
Gun control is an idiotic notion. Whatever laws get passed serve only to control and limit those of us who purchase firearms through the proper legal channels. It accomplishes nothing for those who seek to obtain weapons illegally.
It's just more short-sighted political posturing that does nothing but waste time and money.
We have far bigger problems facing our nation than gun control. Please get off this soapbox and focus on something relevant!
