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After an 18 month investigation, the office of the Attorney General of New York has announced their intentions to dissolve the NRA based on allegations of financial fraud and abuse. The NYAG lawsuit claims that the gun rights organization and some of its leadership were involved in financial misconduct of millions of dollars. The organization has suffered criticism over the last few years after reports of alleged lavish spending of membership funds and donations. Most recently, the 2020 NRA Annual Meeting was cancelled due to pandemic concerns.
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New York Attorney General Moves To Dissolve The NRA After Fraud Investigation
The Attorney General of New York took action today to dissolve the National Rifle Association, following an 18-month investigation that found evidence the powerful gun rights group is “fraught with fraud and abuse.”
Attorney General Letitia James claims in a lawsuit filed Thursday that she found financial misconduct in the millions of dollars, and that it contributed to a loss of more than $64 million over a three year period.
The suit alleges that top NRA executives misused charitable funds for personal gain, awarded contracts to friends and family members, and provided contracts to former employees to ensure loyalty.
Seeking to dissolve the NRA is the most aggressive sanction James could have sought against the not-for-profit organization, which James has jurisdiction over because it is registered in New York. James has a wide range of authorities relating to nonprofits in the state, including the authority to force organizations to cease operations or dissolve. The NRA is all but certain to contest it.
NPR has reached out to the NRA for comment, but has not received a response.
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James’ complaint names the National Rifle Association as a whole, but also names four current and former NRA executives: Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre, general counsel John Frazer, former CFO Woody Phillips, and former chief of staff Joshua Powell.
It lists dozens of examples of alleged financial malfeasance, including the use of NRA funds for vacations, private jets, and expensive meals. In a statement, her office said that the charitable organization’s executives “instituted a culture of self-dealing, mismanagement and negligent oversight” that contributed to “the waste and loss of millions in assets.” – Read The Full Story at NPR.ORG
