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New York attorney general Letitia James announced Thursday that her office had filed a lawsuit against the National Rifle Association to dissolve the organization in its entirety “for years of self-dealing and illegal conduct” that violate New York’s Charity Law.
The NRA is the largest pro-gun organization in the United States, the NRA occasionally alludes to its “five million members” but does not release official figures on dues-paying membership. In 2018, the association reported over $350 million in revenue to the IRS, and spent nearly $10 million supporting and opposing political candidates.
“The NRA’s influence is so powerful that the organization went unchecked for decades while top executives funneled millions into their own pockets,” said James at a press conference late Thursday morning.
In her lawsuit, James asserted that the NRA had lost $64 million over three years because of rampant misconduct. Not only did top brass—including chief executive Wayne LaPierre—use money for personal profit, she alleged, they also awarded lucrative contracts to friends and family and used contracts as a way to ensure loyalty amongst former employees.
The lawsuit, which is the most aggressive form of action James can take against the organization which is registered as a non-profit in New York and therefore falls under her purview, seeks to charge the NRA as a whole as well as four individual defendants: LaPierre, general counsel John Frazer, former CFO Woody Phillips, and former chief of staff Joshua Powell.
The individuals named in the case, said James, failed to manage the finances of the NRA and failed to follow a number of state and federal laws. The gun association and its leadership, she said “fostered a culture of non-compliance and disregard for internal controls that led to the waste and loss of millions of assets.”
The suit alleges that NRA executives used funds intended for supporting their mission on private jets, lavish vacations and expensive meals. All the while, said James, they created a culture of fear for any potential whistleblower.
This is a developing story.