Richard Mack

Richard Ivan Mack (born December 27, 1952) is an American politician who served as the sheriff of Graham County, Arizona from 1988 to 1996. A former lobbyist for Gun Owners of America, he is known for his role in a successful lawsuit which alleged that portions of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act violated the United States Constitution. Mack is also the founder of Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association and sits on the board of directors of the Oath Keepers.

Career Law enforcement Mack spent eleven years with the police department of Provo, Utah, and then moved back to Arizona to run for Graham County Sheriff in 1988. While serving as sheriff, he attended the FBI National Academy and graduated in 1992. Mack did not make the ballot, and incumbent sheriff Kelly Clarke was re-elected.

Oath Keepers and Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association In 2011 Mack founded the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA). The organization has a mission similar to Oath Keepers, encouraging members to refuse to enforce laws that they believe are unconstitutional.

The Southern Poverty Law Center included both CSPOA and Oath Keepers on its list of 1,096 anti-government "patriot" groups active in 2013.

Mack v. United States

Mack served as Graham County Sheriff from 1988 to 1996. In 1994 he was recruited by the National Rifle Association of America as a plaintiff in one of nine lawsuits against the Clinton administration over the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act.

Mack v. United States (later restyled to Printz v. United States), a lawsuit against the federal government which alleged that portions of the Act violated the United States Constitution, because they comprised a congressional action that compelled state officers to execute Federal law. These portions were interim provisions until a national instant background check system for gun purchasers could be implemented. In a 5–4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the provisions of the Brady Act in question were, in fact, unconstitutional.

Political views Mack is involved in the patriot movement through his role in the Oath Keepers organization and as founder of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA).

Mack opposes all gun control laws, telling the program News21, "I studied what the Founding Fathers meant about the Second Amendment, the right to keep and bear arms, and the conclusion is inescapable. There's no way around it. Gun control in America is against the law." To promote his legal theories and views, he is a regular guest speaker at organizations such as the John Birch Society and conspiracy theorist and white supremacist radio shows such as The Political Cesspool and The Alex Jones Show. Mack has also been a public supporter of white supremacists such as Randy Weaver

Personal life Mack was born in 1952 in Arizona. He is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and attended Brigham Young University, earning a degree in Latin American studies.

In April 2022, Richard Mack's adult son, Richard Solon Mack was charged with child sex abuse.