ADVERTISEMENT

New York attorney general seeks to dissolve NRA in suit

cigaretteman

HR King
May 29, 2001
77,113
58,286
113
The chief executive of the National Rifle Association and several top lieutenants engaged in a decades-long pattern of fraud to raid the coffers of the powerful gun rights group for personal gain, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday by the New York attorney general, draining $64 million from the nonprofit in just three years.

In her lawsuit, Attorney General Letitia James called for the dissolution of the NRA and the removal of CEO Wayne LaPierre from the leadership post he has held for the past 39 years, saying he and others used the group’s funds to finance a luxury lifestyle.

She also asked a New York court to force LaPierre and three key deputies to repay NRA members for the ill-gotten funds and inflated salaries that her investigation found they took.

James accused the NRA leaders of flouting state and federal laws and signing off on reports and statements they knew were fraudulent, while diverting millions of dollars away from the NRA’s charitable mission to benefit themselves and their allies.

AD
The attorney general requested that the court bar the four men — LaPierre, general counsel John Frazer, former treasurer Woody Phillips and former chief of staff Josh Powell — from ever serving in a leadership position for a New York charity in the future.

“The NRA’s influence has been so powerful that the organization went unchecked for decades while top executives funneled millions into their own pockets,” James, a Democrat, said in a statement.

Her investigation, which began in February 2019, found a “a culture of self-dealing, mismanagement, and negligent oversight at the NRA that was illegal, oppressive, and fraudulent,” according to a statement by the attorney general’s office.

Her lawsuit paints a picture of widespread wrongdoing at the influential gun rights group, and a freewheeling atmosphere in which top officials repeatedly took advantage of their positions for their personal benefit.

AD
In one new revelation, the attorney general said her investigation uncovered that LaPierre recently arranged a post-employment contract for himself with the NRA worth $17 million. He never sought board approval for the deal, the suit claims.

The lawsuit also claims LaPierre failed to report large sums of personal income to the IRS. James’s office said it found that the NRA chief funneled personal expenses through an outside public relations firm, allowing him to avoid reporting hundreds of thousands of dollars of personal income.

The NRA has defended its spending and contract choices as “decisions that work in the best interests of its members.” Top officials have said LaPierre is paid appropriately for the value he brings to the organization.

In a statement last year, a dozen board members said they have “full confidence in the NRA’s accounting practices and commitment to good governance.”

The scope of the allegations by the New York attorney general represent a serious challenge to the longtime political juggernaut and a top ally of President Trump, which has been riven in the past two years by infighting about use of the group’s funds.

NRA money flowed to board members amid allegedly lavish spending by top officials and vendors

The bitter internal battle burst into public view in April 2019 at the NRA’s annual convention in Indianapolis, when then-NRA President Oliver North was forced out by LaPierre after pressing for an internal financial review.

The Washington Post and other news organizations subsequently revealed how the NRA directed funds to board members and how LaPierre racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in charges at a Beverly Hills clothing boutique and on foreign travel.

The Post also reported how, after a mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Fla.,Pierre told close associates he was worried about how easily he could be targeted and needed a more secure place to live and sought to buy a $6 million, 10,000-square-foot French-style country estate in Westlake, Tex.

AD
The suit expands on previous allegations that LaPierre improperly charged the NRA for private jet travel and luxury vacation that had no clear business purpose. The filing claims LaPierre billed the NRA more than $500,000 for private charter flights he and his family took to visit the Bahamas eight times over three years.

More at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...-name_hp-breaking-news:page/breaking-news-bar
 
It comes at a tough time for the NRA as the school closures have hurt their primary fundraising tool.
giphy-downsized-large.gif
 
As an individual LaPierre doesn't matter that much in the grand scheme of things.

Getting rid of the NRA is a bad idea. It will only be a temporary victory as their members will likely flock to a even more extreme gun rights organization.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cigaretteman
I like the suit but timing isn’t helpful, IMO. It’ll be spun as loony libs going after your Second Amendment rights and give some voters pause about supporting Biden.

Let's be honest. ANY legal action ever taken against the NRA, no matter how justified, would be spun as libs going after the 2nd Amendment.

The sad part is I've read on numerous occasions that the political arm of the NRA is increasingly not in alignment with the rank-and-file opinions on gun regulation.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cigaretteman
As an individual LaPierre doesn't matter that much in the grand scheme of things.

Getting rid of the NRA is a bad idea. It will only be a temporary victory as their members will likely flock to a even more extreme gun rights organization.
I feel like this would have taken place anyway. Just look at FoxNews. They aren't extreme enough so propagandists like OANN have sprouted up. At least this way, feet will be held to the fire.
 
Let's be honest. ANY legal action ever taken against the NRA, no matter how justified, would be spun as libs going after the 2nd Amendment.

The sad part is I've read on numerous occasions that the political arm of the NRA is increasingly not in alignment with the rank-and-file opinions on gun regulation.
I hear you, but a few months before an election?

Biden needs those votes in rural areas.
 
I feel like this would have taken place anyway. Just look at FoxNews. They aren't extreme enough so propagandists like OANN have sprouted up. At least this way, feet will be held to the fire.

I don't think so. OANN might be the president's favorite channel but FOX still kills OANN in the viewership.

If Trump gets beat in November. . . there is a good chance his cult like hold over them will be broken and they are not going to abandon Fox News.

Fox News has been willing to be critical of Trump on occasion because they know he's losing and I'm not sure even Trump will be able to spin losing into continued cult status in the GOP.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: lucas80
For the lawyers on here, what are the prospects for success in your opinions? Seems like the NRA is too powerful to fall.
 
I don't think so. OANN might be the president's favorite channel but FOX still kills OANN in the viewership.
And the same can be said for the NRA. What organizations are in place to replace it? The last polls of the NRA have it underwater for favorability. It was a liability before this suit. After I suspect is will tank even more after.

No doubt Trump will try to jump all over this, but just like with gassing protesters, he will be supporting unpopular positions. That is bad heading into an election.
 
For the lawyers on here, what are the prospects for success in your opinions? Seems like the NRA is too powerful to fall.
That’s kinda my gut feeling. Nonprofits have a lot of power at that level. Their response that LaPierre adds the value for what he costs I think is a pretty valid defense. Reminds me of televangelists who have huge private jets and mansions. But the government doesn’t get involved those disputes too often (or as often as they should). It’s hard to tell an organization what they can and can’t do with their money.
 
  • Like
Reactions: h-hawk
And the same can be said for the NRA. What organizations are in place to replace it? The last polls of the NRA have it underwater for favorability. It was a liability before this suit. After I suspect is will tank even more after.

No doubt Trump will try to jump all over this, but just like with gassing protesters, he will be supporting unpopular positions. That is bad heading into an election.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Association_for_Gun_Rights

or even worse

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_Owners_of_America

"According to Gun Owners Foundation, its campaign objective is "to generate public awareness of the dangers of not having a gun ready for protection and to encourage gun owners not to lock up their best means of self-defense".[11] The public service announcements focus mainly on trying to persuade their target audience, American adults in gun owning households, to not lock up fire arms, but instead to keep them ready and accessible. According to the public service announcements"

There is also a "Second Amendment Foundation" which there is an article on politico that describes it as "more moderate"

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/18/nra-gun-lobbyist-1466701

But I havn't seen what about it is more moderate exactly. . . They don't seem to have as much conflict with the NRA as the other 2 organizations do. And in their defense they did speak up about Philando Castile's shooting saying "Exercising our right to bear arms should not translate to a death sentence over something so trivial as a traffic stop for a broken tail light, and we are going to watch this case with a magnifying glass."

 
  • Like
Reactions: cigaretteman
That’s kinda my gut feeling. Nonprofits have a lot of power at that level. Their response that LaPierre adds the value for what he costs I think is a pretty valid defense. Reminds me of televangelists who have huge private jets and mansions. But the government doesn’t get involved those disputes too often (or as often as they should). It’s hard to tell an organization what they can and can’t do with their money.
I don't think the NRA has the resources to fight this. They are on the pathway to bankruptcy, covid has killed their fundraising efforts, and they are bleeding cash. They have neither the money to fight this publicly over the ad airways or in courtroom.
 
  • Like
Reactions: h-hawk
I don't think the NRA has the resources to fight this. They are on the pathway to bankruptcy, covid has killed their fundraising efforts, and they are bleeding cash. They have neither the money to fight this publicly over the ad airways or in courtroom.
I sincerely hope you’re right
 
The uneducated rural people are lost forever. The key is attracting the more economically productive people in the suburbs.

That’s my FIL...he’d been a big NRA financial supporter for decades, I don’t think he’s donated for a few years after reports of financial irregularities and the Russian thing (he worked in DoD his entire career). I’m pretty sure he’ll be fine with them now.
 
Bilking members out of tens of millions of dollars should get to members. Even dumb ones.
 
That’s kinda my gut feeling. Nonprofits have a lot of power at that level. Their response that LaPierre adds the value for what he costs I think is a pretty valid defense. Reminds me of televangelists who have huge private jets and mansions. But the government doesn’t get involved those disputes too often (or as often as they should). It’s hard to tell an organization what they can and can’t do with their money.

Huh? Tax fraud is tax fraud, bro.
 
That’s kinda my gut feeling. Nonprofits have a lot of power at that level. Their response that LaPierre adds the value for what he costs I think is a pretty valid defense. Reminds me of televangelists who have huge private jets and mansions. But the government doesn’t get involved those disputes too often (or as often as they should). It’s hard to tell an organization what they can and can’t do with their money.

I'm not sure the specifics but I could see them possibly forcing LaPierre out. But dissolving the whole organization isn't going to happen. And it's not something I'm rooting for either. The NRA's base will just go elsewhere and that place might be more crazy than they are. The NRA at least gives lip service to safe handling of a firearm, you look at Gun Owners of America and they are basically like "screw gun safety you need to be ready to quick draw and kill anyone at a moment's notice."
 
I'm not sure the specifics but I could see them possibly forcing LaPierre out. But dissolving the whole organization isn't going to happen.

I dunno......a systematic culture of corruption and pilfering ain't looking good.
This wasn't "just one guy"; it was multiple people in the organization AND the CPAs, etc who all oversaw the finances. NY cited two other very recent cases where they dissolved organizations entirely. The size of the organization is immaterial to the case. And it's worse if they do not have the funds to fight the case and defend the corrupt acts.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Huey Grey
I dunno......a systematic culture of corruption and pilfering ain't looking good.
This wasn't "just one guy"; it was multiple people in the organization AND the CPAs, etc who all oversaw the finances. NY cited two other very recent cases where they dissolved organizations entirely. The size of the organization is immaterial to the case. And it's worse if they do not have the funds to fight the case and defend the corrupt acts.

They will find the funds. Shoot they probably just have to E-mail that the NY State AG is trying to dissolve their organization and their supporters will send them a million in a week.
 
I hear you, but a few months before an election?

Biden needs those votes in rural areas.

The uneducated rural people are lost forever. The key is attracting the more economically productive people in the suburbs.

Agreed, Trump won in 2016 because ultimately he won the suburbs. Democrats won them in 2018 and crushed the GOP as a result. Current polling gives Biden the edge in the suburbs at the moment.

I agree though that we will see the NRA ads about Dems coming for our guns - it's a tradition as hallowed as apple pie.
 
They will find the funds. Shoot they probably just have to E-mail that the NY State AG is trying to dissolve their organization and their supporters will send them a million in a week.
Honestly, I don't think this is an option. The NRA is near banktuptcy. If supporters were looking to give, I suspect they would done so by now.
 
I'm not sure the specifics but I could see them possibly forcing LaPierre out. But dissolving the whole organization isn't going to happen. And it's not something I'm rooting for either. The NRA's base will just go elsewhere and that place might be more crazy than they are. The NRA at least gives lip service to safe handling of a firearm, you look at Gun Owners of America and they are basically like "screw gun safety you need to be ready to quick draw and kill anyone at a moment's notice."
The devil you know is better than the devil you don't
 
ADVERTISEMENT