August 8, 2008.  CeaseFirePA’s board of directors voted today to remove from its board a longtime member whom news reports alleged was a spy for the National Rifle Association. The board’s vote was unanimous.

The board also voted to explore possible legal action against former board member Mary McFate and the NRA, following news reports that McFate for years had worked as a secret, paid operative for the NRA, infiltrating gun violence prevention organizations, including CeaseFirePA.

"We don't deal in state secrets. We are working to make our communities safer by reducing handgun violence, " said Phil Goldsmith, CeaseFirePA’s board president. "The fact that the NRA feels compelled to plant spies in organizations like ours borders on paranoia. It reminds me of the days when General Motors spied on Ralph Nader when he was trying to make automobiles safer."

"If they are doing this in an organization like CeaseFirePA, it makes you wonder what they might be doing in Harrisburg where they have had so much influence in thwarting common-sense handgun safety reforms," Goldsmith said.

Prior to the board’s action, Goldsmith reached out by email and registered letter to McFate to give her a chance to refute the charges but received no response. The NRA has also failed to respond to repeated media inquiries.

Goldsmith said it was important for CeaseFirePA to explore its legal options. "Our members, including some who have lost loved ones to handgun violence, have been violated by this breach of trust. We will not allow the NRA to undermine our efforts to make our communities safer places to live.’’

CeaseFirePA helped lead a major effort in Harrisburg this spring to pass a law requiring gun owners to report lost or stolen handguns to the police. With that roll-call vote on record, the organization is pressing forward with plans to let voters know where their legislator stands on this reasonable reform supported overwhelmingly by Pennsylvanians.  “We have no intention of being distracted,” said CeaseFirePA executive director Joe Grace. “We’re focused on letting voters know who stands with them in our fight to prevent gun violence in Pennsylvania.”