NEW YORK — The attorney general for New York, Letitia James, sued the National Rifle Association (NRA) on Thursday, seeking to dissolve the organization and put it out of business.
James is accusing the NRA of tax fraud, breaking laws governing nonprofit groups and other violations—including executives using the organization’s reserves for personal use.
“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 said in a statement when announcing the lawsuit, according to the Associated Press. “The NRA is fraught with fraud and abuse, which is why, today, we seek to dissolve the NRA, because no organization is above the law.”
James’ lawsuit also targets The NRA Foundation, a charitable arm of the organization self-proclaimed as “America’s Leading Charitable Organization in Support of the Shooting Sports.”
The foundation is known for its programs and grants promoting hunting/firearm safety, marksmanship and other elements of shooting sports.
The NRA responded to the lawsuit on Twitter, calling it a “baseless premeditated attack on our organization and the Second Amendment freedoms it fights to defend… we not only will not shrink from this fight – we will confront it and prevail.”
The NRA has been registered in New York as a 501(c)(4) not-for-profit since 1871. As such, the organization is under James’ jurisdiction. (Though the charges James has presented are civil, not criminal, violations.)
James’ office confirmed it had been investigating the NRA in 2019 and it set the stage for the lawsuit submitted on Thursday. James has likened the NRA to a “terrorist organization” in the past.
NY is crazy of course but I will not renew my NRA membership until an independent audit of finances is performed and reported to membership for consideration. It’s just prudent business to ensure our NRA support is spent wisely.
The NRA spends a considerable amount of money on campaigning for the Republic party prior to election day. With having to divert funds to legal defense, there won’t be as much for campaigning. All just another attempt to remove Mr. Trump from office in November. Patriotic Americans had better wake up before we become victims of our own freedoms 🇺🇸
Might be wise for the NRA to register in a friendly state. Would also be wise to boycott anti-second ammendmwnt states. “Shall not be infringed.”
“to encroach upon in a way that violates law or the rights of another”
Not sure why thia definition has not been used to fight ANY infringement against the 2nd ammendment. Granted individual states can disagree with federal mandates.
Having escaped the Bronx in 1973,I haven’t yet escaped NYState but I’m trying !I welcome direct referrals for a small rural property with onsite well in:TN,AR,NC,MO,ID,WY,UT,AK,MT
The Cuomo family as always been EVIL,especially now with Andrew.Sounds like Letitia James is like that St.Louis DA-puppet of Soros,Bloomberg,Gates
I’ve never had an opinion on the NRA. Until now. Now I’m a member.
On the other hand, we know that the odious Wayne LaPierre has been treating our hard-earned dues and contributions like his personal checking account for years. European tours charged off as a business expense; more new suits in a year than I could afford in my life; always comes begging in October of elections years…but what does the NRA do for us in off years? The membership are good people – the Bureaucrats and Board Members, however, are mostly crooks who support LaPierre’s thieving ways. This Benefactor Life Member took the pledge – not another cent to the NRA or any of its programs until LaPierre and his cronies are kicked out – and without a golden parachute, too. We the membership deserve a thoroughly transparent and public audit of NRA books – let’s see where our dues are going.
The NY AG is utterly corrupt. So is the NRA leadership. They deserve each other. Let’s just see what shakes out.
It is unbelievable that Americans are under attack by elected officials for their own personal gains and beliefs. If Americans don’t stand up for our rights under the constitution we will be living like China under a democratic dictatorship!
nyc mayor deblasio’s wife was in charge of an almost billion dollar program.
little to no accounting. where did that money go?
This is clearly an attack on our Constitutional freedoms by some traitorous bum just looking to make a name for her dumb ass !!… Gotta agree with the Prez… move the NRA headquarters outta new york!! …
Gov. Cuomo first tried to destroy the NRA (openly saying it)by using the economic and political power of the NYS Government to brow-beat and bully Banks and Insurance cos. to not due business with the NRA!
So he would deprive the NRA of it’s First Amendment Rights in order to destroy the Second Amendment?
And when NRA filed suit and FOUGHT…the attempt failed.
Now, having failed to destroy the NRA economically, he has obviously ordered his “Cat’s Paw”, L. James,( who’s sympathies are well-known) to launch a PERSONAL attack on the NRA leadership.
How low can you go? Talk about pandering to the anti-gun nuts.
What can you expect from an arrogant politician like A. Cuomo? After-all….after building the unnecessary new Tappan Zee Bridge, he decided to name it after his late dad-former Gov. Mario Cuomo…without ANY input from those that live there and have to watch the thousands of tax-payer dollars being wasted on new signs…Better than vanity plates, huh?
So, Andy…you shoved through some of the most restrcitive anti-gun laws in the nation rather opportunistically in the wake of that tragic shooting in VT.
Now our ARs have to look extra stupid with weird stocks and grips and normal features, (like a bayonet lug) not allowed. And magazines are limited to seven (7) rounds.Gee…I guess that will do it…not like 6 or 8, you know…7 is the “Goldilocks” of magazine capacity. Sure,Andy. Smart of you to know that.
And now you are (generously going to help other States get through the Pandemic…although you claim to be BILLONS in debt.
How is that working out for you, Andy? As well as the NY “Green Law”?
You wiped out a whole industry in NY with that one…now I can’t ship my car to Europe(or wherever I want) because it is Titled in NYS!
Thanks again,Andy,,,I just wanted t get away from NY for awhile…you know…like everyone else is leaving NY anyway.
All these hypocritical machinations to constantly keep Andy in our faces…for his run for the Presidency next time.
Andy…you just don’t have the Grace to be President. Good luck with managing and constantly spinning your brag re: the Pandemic. Why the %$$#!! can’t you stop this childish fake feud with De Blasio? You can never win by out-lying Bill…he is a TRUE master of the obvious.
What a future this country will have if an obvious tool and puppet like “Uncle Joe” Biden is running—their LAST choice.
And remember-after WWII was over, the LAST “Uncle Joe” the world got did some harm.
So, no to Joe, to Andy, and a BIG no to Letticia. I thought ans Attorney General was supposed to be unbiased and follow the law…not be a legal(?) pit bull for her master.
Oh,well
just watch the media run with this election.
First the fake polls,-about how far behind Trump is, and how well Uncle Joe is doing.Etc.
You know-like with Hillary? Remember her?
Trump—the only President yet to ACTUALLY try to keep his campaign promises—Yikes!
If only Trump could just stop putting his foot in his mouth…and put it somewhere else where it could do some good…Dumbass!
Trump
Don’t forget Chucky. Schumer. Taking AIPAC money should be illegal and investigated.
They know they will not dissolve NRA. They are trying to use up NRA’s funds fighting their crap in court.
Liberal Democrats. They want TOTAL control.
In the NRA’s response, they say the charges are baseless. That will be interesting to see if they actually are.
everyone who just recently purchased a firearm needs to become an NRA member.
ALL NRA members should file a defamation suit against her for her unsubstantiated claim that we are members of a ‘terroristic organization’ – and fines/penalties/expenses to come out of her personal pocket. Even if we simply filed tort actions against her in small claims court and she was forced to pay each and every member, it would even make gyorgyi hurt financially
Vote
Texas is open for business.
Not only should this far left wing extremist be investigated and removed from office. We should also be asking that these same “complaints” should be raised against the DNC and Clinton Foundation as they definitely need to be investigated
In the end this will just make the NRA stronger. With over 5 Million members the NRA is not going anywhere soon except maybe to Texas.
Fraud? Abuse? Trips to the Bahamas, private jets, luxury hotels and dining. Sounds like Congress, not us.
Ok, unruffle feathers. If only half of the allegations brought by the NY Attorney General are true, then the leadership of the NRA is stealing our money. (If all is true, then the thieves are laughing at us.) Our money was to be used to promote the safe use of firearms through education, competitions, etc. and stand to protect the Second Amendment. This non-profit was not meant to enrich the private coffers and provide lavish lifestyles for its leaders. We should be the beneficiaries of their efforts with our money.
Disband the NRA? No. If guilty, get rid of the present leadership and get back the funds they stole and set a completely new leadership. This is your money, protect it as you would the Second Amendment. The legal and tax efforts will take some time to play out, relax and see what plays.
The attorney general for New York, Letitia James, has missed the “mark” with this “end the NRA” strategy. However she is NOT wrong about the underlying; mismanagement, theft//embezzlement, diversion of “NRA” funds to the personal use and benefit of certain select person//persons. — READ THAT AS – Wayne LaPierre and his sycophantic//entrapped followers. —
Wayne LaPierre has been a “TRAITOR” to the 2nd Amendment and the NRA for decades. He needs to be “separated from the organization IMMEDIATELY if the NRA has any hope of survival. The extravagant spending on things that directly benefitted Wayne and his family is just one area that he should be prosecuted in CRIMINAL COURT for not just this civil suit.
Col. Oliver North tried to warn “LaPierre” and the entire membership about the improper financial dealings and “the LaPierre cabal” rose up and forced the Col’s resignation as association President — the position being immediately filled by a LaPieere acolyte.
Wayne MUST be thrown out and his SELF=AUTHORIZED 17-MILLION DOLLAR severance package MUST be REVOKED IMMEDIATELY.
SAVE the NRA, PROSECUTE Wayne LaPierre and his CO-CONSPIRITORS TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW. The NRA needs to police itself and throw the wrongdoers//criminals out.
Just my opinion based on what I have seen happen and read. If you have factual information that you believe would alter my opinion please comment.
James action toward the NRA smacks heavily with a sense of ulterior motives. How can an elected official be so misguided?
The National Rifle Association has dug its own grave. Anyone who has been paying attention over the last year or so has seen the struggle within the NRA to get back to its formative roots as a nationwide organization designed to train American citizens in the safe use of firearms. This came to a head when Oliver North, the NRA president, was hounded out of office by Wayne LaPierre and his cohorts.
LaPierre and his buddies have hijacked the NRA into becoming a mouthpiece for the Republican Party. This has allowed the NRA to become a conduit for huge sums of political money. If you will recall several years ago some $30,000,000, I believe, from Russia was laundered through the NRA as contributions to Donald Trump’s campaign. LaPierre and his friends have taken advantage of this huge influx of money to rake off a significant part of it for their own personal use. If you have followed the story you will know that the charges brought by the New York district attorney are the same charges that were made by the group NRA members that included Oliver North some years ago.
It would be terribly unfortunate if the National Rifle Association was to be disbanded. It has served the United States well over the years and if it can return to its original purpose will serve our country in the future. Sadly, because the membership of the NRA was unwilling to throw Mr. LaPierre and his group out the organization now faces destruction.
If the NRA membership would come together to oust LaPierre and company the dynamics of the legal action would be very likely changed immensely, possibly protecting the NRA as an organization. This would also prevent LaPierre from mining what financial resources the NRA has left in his own defense.
Liberal NY politicians suck!
MAGA! 🇺🇸
Liberal NY politicians need to be suppressed and removed permanently! We will resist their
power grab!
MAGA! 🇺🇸
Not to Worry. The AG of New York is a Looser. She lost two Big Cases recently, one against Exxon Mobil and then T- Mobile/Sprint I believe she, like all Democrat Politicians are nothing more than Political Hacks. They try to DEMONIZE everything they DO NOT AGREE WITH! This includes the 1st. and 2nd Amendments and everything that has Made America Great.
The great State and City, New York is where Cuomo, Di Blasio and AOC reigns.
Seems to me,all the people who are on the side of the N R A are being told they are ignorant sheep giving up their own money and trust to fight people with more money than should have.
We dont know the whole story. Not the first time we’ve been mislead, or someone’s been wrongly accused. Let’s find out the truth and go from there
I hate these politically driven attacks! What have we come to. I wish our electws officials would just do something constructive for once.
Why not Go after the leadership of the NRA with the full force of the IRS, to seize property and and money fairly adding up to the 64 million dollars, that was supposedly stolen from the NRA by the crooked executives of the organization.
The NRA is a private National Organization dedicated to help interested, dedicated Americans to act as a Safety Training advocate and guardian of the Second Amendment Rights for all Americans against well meaning and hostile enemies determined to destroy the individual civil rights that the founding fathers laid out clearly and simply in the United States Constitution. The First and Second Amendments in the Bill of Rights were the most important important of all the original 10 INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS guaranteed to all American Citizens.
The recovered money can be returned to the NRA to be used for the intended purposes of continuing the fight to keep un-American attempts to destroy the blueprint of Laws that the Nation ran on for over 200 years.
THIS INVESTIGATION WILL NOT GET ANYWHERE … IN 2019 THEY TRIED TO OVERHEAD THE PRESIDENT, THEY ARE TRYING TO ERASE THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, THEY WANT TO ELIMINATE THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM. THE LIBERALS WERE PURCHASED BY THE POWERFUL SOCIALISTS TO DESTROY THE UNITED STATES. BUT …. “WE THE PEOPLE” …. WE HAVE THE POWER TO DECIDE THE COURSE OF OUR COUNTRY …. NEXT NOVEMBER 2 IF YOUR VOTE IS NOT REPUBLICAN ….. IT IS NOT A PATRIOT VOTE. .. IT IS NOT A VOTE FOR DEMOCRACY …. IF OUR VOTE IS NOT REPUBLICAN …. WE WILL BE VOTING AGAINST THE DREAM OF WASHINGTON, ADAMS … IF YOUR VOTE IS NOT REPUBLICAN YOU WILL BE VOTING FOR THE DICTATORSHIP OF THE COMMUNISTS …
“WE THE PEOPLE” …. WE HAVE THE POWER TO DECIDE THE COURSE OF OUR COUNTRY …. NEXT NOVEMBER 2 IF YOUR VOTE IS NOT REPUBLICAN ….. IT IS NOT A PATRIOT VOTE. .. IT IS NOT A VOTE FOR DEMOCRACY …. IF OUR VOTE IS NOT REPUBLICAN …. WE WILL BE VOTING AGAINST THE DREAM OF WASHINGTON, ADAMS … IF YOUR VOTE IS NOT REPUBLICAN YOU WILL BE VOTING FOR THE DICTATORSHIP OF THE COMMUNISTS …
This is the Pelosi of New York. The old saying goes give them an inch and they take a mile. The people of New York will be the ones to suffer from the people they have elected. This lady is owned by Bloomberg who failed his bid for president in favor of the obviously demented Biden.
Now, let’s Not get our panties in a bunch. No one is above the Law. Our 2nd amendment right is in Black and White. We must maintain that the NRA is innocent and will have a fair trial. If LaPierre is innocent, he’s got Nothing but Free publicity. As a long time member, I’m mad as hell! I gave money for specific causes Not to enrich another shameless crook! I honestly hope New York is wrong and loses. But, if he’s guilty then he needs to Pay it All back, with penalties. Too Bad they’re Not criminal charges. White collar crime is different, I guess. Tar and feather, anybody? Lol.
Of all the states to choose to incorporate in, why did they pick New York. Other states are more deserving. Arms makers have left. So should the NRA.
Attempting to “dissolve” the NRA is a road to nowhere and I’m not sweating it. The leadership, however. needs to be held accountable for the fraud they have perpetrated.
James should be investigated for take money from Bloomberg and Soros. She’s obviously in the bag for the liberal lunatics.
SOSO,the entire Cuomo administration,Cuomo and the State Legislature needs to be impeached/ disbarred/ lose their pensions/be imprisoned/permanently deported to NYC-and NYC be made a walled off foreign country.
Does NY allow recall of elected state officials? If so, then James needs to be recalled with extreme prejudice.