New York Attorney General Letitia James is making good on her campaign promise to take down the National Rifle Association (NRA).
James announced today that her office has filed a lawsuit seeking to dissolve the NRA as a nonprofit in New York, and has charged four current and former NRA leaders, including current Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre, with failing to manage the organization’s funds and violating numerous state and federal nonprofit laws.
In total, James has accused the NRA and its leaders of diverting more than $64 million from is charitable mission over the last three years to personal use and lucrative contracts for family members and friends.
“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 press release. “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.”
The NRA responded to James’ suit on Twitter, calling it a “baseless and premeditated attack on our organization and the Second Amendment Freedoms it fights to defend.”
SEE ALSO: NRA Addresses ‘Infighting, Controversy, Chaos’ In Important Message for Members
“You could have set your watch by it: the investigation was going to reach its crescendo as we move into the 2020 election cycle,” the NRA said. “It’s a transparent attempt to score political points and attack the leading voice in opposition to the leftist agenda. This has been a power grab by a political opportunist – a desperate move that is part of a rank political vendetta.”
“Our members won’t be intimidated or bullied in their defense of political and constitutional freedom,” the statement continued.
(3/3) Our members won’t be intimidated or bullied in their defense of political and constitutional freedom.
— NRA (@NRA) August 6, 2020
As evidenced by the lawsuit filed by the NRA today against the NY AG, we not only will not shrink from this fight – we will confront it and prevail.
The NRA has also filed a suit of its own, claiming that James targeted the NRA for political reasons and hasn’t treated the gun-rights group fairly.
“Despite hopes that playing by the rules would procure a just outcome, the NRA has not been treated fairly by James’s office,” the 19-page suit states. “The New York Democratic Party political machine seeks to harass, defund, and dismantle the NRA because of what it believes and what it says.”
James hasn’t been shy about her personal feelings about the NRA. During her campaign in 2018, she vowed to “use the constitutional power as an attorney general to regulate charities, that includes the NRA, to investigate their legitimacy.”
She also called the NRA a “terrorist organization” in a 2018 interview with Ebony Magazine.
President Trump encouraged the NRA to move to Texas:
“I think the NRA should move to Texas and lead a very good and beautiful life,” he said. “And I’ve told them that for a long time. I think they should move to Texas – Texas would be a great state or to another state of their choosing – but I would say that Texas would be a great place and an appropriate place for the NRA.”
SEE ALSO: Biden to Take Down NRA, Hickenlooper Talks Assault Weapons Ban and Gun Licensing
Jaames’ 169-page suit (published below) lays out a variety of alleged illegal activities by LaPierre, former Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Wilson “Woody” Phillips, former Chief of Staff and the Executive Director of General Operations Joshua Powell, and Corporate Secretary and General Counsel John Frazer.
“The lawsuit alleges that the four men instituted a culture of self-dealing, mismanagement, and negligent oversight at the NRA that was illegal, oppressive, and fraudulent. They overrode and evaded internal controls to allow themselves, their families, favored board members, employees, and vendors to benefit through reimbursed expenses, related party transactions, excess compensation, side deals, and waste of charitable assets without regard to the NRA’s best interests,” James’ office said in a statement.
In particular, the suit accuses LaPierre of using NRA donations to fund private plane rides for his family on trips unrelated to the organization’s work, taking trips to the Bahamas on the NRA’s dime, failing to report lucrative gifts from NRA vendors, and spending millions on unwanted travel consultants.
The suit also outlines how LaPierre used the NRA’s long-time marketing agency, Ackerman McQueen, to pay for non-contractual, out-of-pocket expenses for LaPierre and other NRA executives and pass those expenses through to the NRA.
Along with dissolving the NRA, James suit asks the court to order LaPierre, Phillips, Powell, and Frazer to make full restitution for funds they allegedly unlawfully profited and salaries earned while employees; pay penalties; and recover illegal and unauthorized payments to the four individuals. She also asks the court to immediately remove LaPierre and Frazer from NRA’s leadership.
Experts speaking with The Hill said the lawsuit will likely take years to fully play out, and the associated costs and potential rulings could put the NRA’s future in jeopardy.
So BM you’re back. I thought the mike dropping drubbing you got would have kept you in the shed.
For all of you not familiar with him, BM is self-described “gun aficionado” Chipmunk clone three gun competitor who doesn’t think we should have 2A rights. Get back under the porch before your 300 pound “wife” gives you another pegging.
The NY DA and all the NY Judges have a heart of Satan, and the Spirit of the anti-christ. God will deal with them when he takes them home and that may be very soon. This is the same as the Demo party and most of the Republicans they have the spirit of the anti christ they all steal money from tax payers the NY AG included.
Letitia James has some vary accurate information. But with some flaws. She could not spell Democartic party and subed NRA!!!!
Yes its totally political and james is going to foster backlash for it.
That being said our nra loaded the gun she is going to shoot us in the face with!
La pierre and his cronys are scumbag crooks who i fervently desire to see in prison for life! Imagine what the nra could’ve done in the hands of a group of patriots dedicated to restoring our rights.instead we’ve put crooks in charge for years. Time to fix it folks! Or burn it down and put our money to better use
Uhhh… who’s NRA are you talking about? What are your basis for calling “La Pierre and his cronys” “scumbag crooks”?
You sound more like a Democratic party troll than an NRA member.
Sure he plays politics and spreads money around. This is a dirty political battle and, disgustingly, that’s how it’s fought!
We aren’t facing any straight forward opponents. These are dirty dealing socialist types who are working from a proven program established over a 100 years ago and polished and perfected along the way. They took over our schools and they took our children, (the vast majority anyway.) Every high school graduation turns out a majority of motivated, conservative and American ideal hating Democrat voters. Very soon they won’t have to gimmick the voting booths. They’ll have won by sheer numbers and the next time they get control of the government will be the last. They’ll make sure not to lose it again. They have examples of Lenin and Stalin and Hitler to tell them how to do that.
One of their sure fire methods of accomplishing that is to divide and conquer, infiltrate and exterminate pockets of resistance.
Is that where you come in?
The best known pocket of resistance is the NRA. Break that up, and the rest will fold or be taken down with ease. It’s time to recall Ben Franklin’s famous comment; “We must all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”
Wayne LaPierre is not w/out fault, I agree. But he has led the NRA into a powerful ally of the 2nd Amendment and a political force to not be ignored w/out peril. He know’s his way around the treacherous paths of politics. THAT is experience we need. Like it or not. (And, for the record, I don’t like it.)
So someone with Ackerman McQueen or in the NRA hierarchy floated the idea of buying a very expensive home in Texas for LaPierre. The home was never purchased by the NRA but Democratic politicians in Illinois are spreading the false information that this home was purchased and is part of the NY AG and DC suit.
If this non purchase is part of the suit against the NRA then the case must be vary thin on substance.
I’ve been saying for years that Wayne has gone from being a champion to being an albatross. Too bad the Annual Meeting was cancelled this year when there was some chance of a revolt to throw the bum out. If we did, a lot of this drama could have been avoided.
As a Patron Life member it hurts to say this but the organization needs a top down house cleaning. Just look at the list of qualified and effective people who left or were forced out. Why do you think Pete Brownell left as president after only one term? Any congressman who was not anti-gun would readily take a phone call from former ILA director Chris Cox. And the list goes on and on. Meanwhile we are left with a board of directors who are mostly corrupt or ineffective. The only way to save the organization is for our lethargic membership to wake up and take action. Vote for reformer directors. Show up at the Annual Meeting and ask Wayne to leave. Or at least, when the NRA calls asking for money, tell them to call back after Wayne LaPierre has left the building.
The NY govt. deciding to sue the NRA, a govt. that has unlimited resources to attack from multiple directions, over decades of time, is just wrong. And just where did they get all the evidence to support their suit, and why is NY suing a Virginia company? The NRA, if they are going to defend themselves will require a budget and bank account depleting amount of money. Perhaps a counter class action lawsuit with the 5-6 million NRA members as clients could be put in place against the state of NY. Or, the NRA could just abandon NY in a manner you see in lawyer ads on TV where they are not licensed in certain states, or like American Flags sold by Harbor Freight that are not legal to sell in Minnesota. The NRA just decides to ‘not do’ NY anymore. But…I would like to see the NRA, in all their publications, print and item by item explanation of why each of the accusations by NY are wrong and what NY based those accusations on.
The NRA headquarters is located in Virginia but they are incorporated in New York, which is why the (several expletives deleted) NY AG gets to sue. Though that may raise a question about the D.C. suit.
About time! That old fraud should have been jailed long ago.
If true, than they should be brought to justice.
On that note, just because they have a lifestyle seemingly out of line with their salaries, I make my money in several places, not just one, so what some here consider their lavish dress or transportation may come from a different revenue stream, such as long term investments.
After that, the NY AG has NO RIGHT to pursue the organization itself, but as we can see, she isn’t JUST the NY AG, she is a PARTISAN Democrat, who has made her anti gun position very plain, and that alone gives me casue to distrust her intent.
Isn’t LaPierre pulling down over $3,000,000 per year? And that is on top of all the percs like suits paid for out of our dues that cost north of $10k each. He is not living beyond his means but he doesn’t pay for it out of his own pocket either. And then you have to consider the lawyer bills that also cost millions per year.
A very interesting tactic: charging 4 officers (current and former) with fraud and/or embezzling. Then also charging the victim. This must be a new form of law.
Several years ago I noticed something on the reverse side of correspondence I received from the NRA indicating I could get a copy of their financial statement by writing to a certain address in New York. Being curious about who was getting paid in the NRA hierarchy and how much those salaries were, I sent my request in. A few weeks later I received a reply that consisted of nothing but a bunch of numbers I couldn’t comprehend and nothing about salaries. My curiosity being driving even more, I wrote a letter directly to the finance director of the NRA and told them that, as a member I was of the belief I was entitled to know who was getting paid and how much of the membership money was going to salaries. In a memo I received a few weeks later I was told the information I was requesting was “confidential” and essentially none of my business. When my membership came up for renewal, I let it lapse out of disgust and distrust. That was at least fifteen or twenty years ago.
Whether corrupt or not, the NRA is our front line defense against anti-gun lunatics and it’s because of that organization we still have the 2nd Amendment freedoms we all enjoy. I capitulated about ten years ago and re-joined and now I’m a life member. IF Mr. LaPierre and a few of the upper echelon in the NRA have been stealing our money, they need to pay the consequences, not the organization. I say that, knowing in reality, we are all going to pay for this regardless because of the legal costs and the stigma. The fight for our gun rights is tough enough without this kind of needless, greedy crap going on (again, IF it has).
As others have already mentioned, NRA members are empowered with the vote so perhaps it’s time for leadership change. We thank Mr. LaPierre for his service but he’s been there a long time.
All politics seem to involve some level of compromise. I certainly feel that Mr. LaPierre should have stepped down long ago but my take on disclosing members salaries is a little more unsure. If any NRA member could demand to see NRA salaries then any Michael Moore type would no doubt have obtained that information long ago and used to grind as many axes as could be found.
The NFL is a non-profit 501(c)(6) and before the Wuhan virus was unleashed in the US, Roger Goodall enjoyed a salary of $40,000,000. Harvard University is a 501(c)3 which stashes away cash in “endowments” somewhere north of $40 billion. The NY AG and others involved in this suit care only about politics and are shameless liars.
To 2A supporters who never miss an opportunity to criticize the NRA , stop giving aid and comfort to the left-wing ideologues by parroting every rumor that is cooked up. Stop boasting on how you do NOT support the NRA and start telling everyone what you do to support the 2A.
Well stated Kane. My sentiments as well.
Just a life member here… Saying we aren’t that bad by comparison is a false argument. Saying you have to get your hands dirty is a false argument. Justifying wasteful spending and selfish lifestyles and protectionism as necessary evils is a false argument. Saying you support the left by not paying dues is a false argument. Citing history, previous accomplishments and leadership having to have experience is a false argument. The reality of poor NRA leadership is always a disservice to and falls on the members. The membership will pay, maybe not immediately but it always goes that way in the end. Wayne needs to go. I won’t give my money to the NRA until this happens. I will give my money to other organizations like GOA, SAF, NSSF, FPC, CRPA, etc. instead. There is lots of advocacy going on outside of the NRA. Some of it more successful. Supporting compromise is supporting defeat from within. I won’t abide it. We should look elsewhere or to reform with these other groups teaching the NRA.
I wholeheartedly agree. NY’s AG had only two planks in her campaign platform – Put Trump in jail and dissolve the NRA. There may be warts on the frog, but he’s still our frog. I am less concerned with Wayne’s suits than I am with their Pro-2A actions and litigation where needed.
Thank You for supporting the NRA for so long. I became a member more than 25 years ago as a young Marine and have recently became a benefactor member after the obtaining the 3 or 4 other life membership levels. Too many people repeat dubious claims that never can be traced to the source.
This was intended to be in response to “Glocker.”
This looks like a long range Democratic plan to DE-fund the NRA, In the past this type of action was also used to divert our attention from other legislation. This action could take years and awesome amount of money that could and should be used for our children s future and education. Vote Republican ticket across the board and lets get this fight out in the open.
Their more insidious attacks on the 2A is via the banks and credit card companies. Here the leftist/Marixists pressure the CEOs and company mgmt of these companies to turn down processing of gun and ammo manufacturers and their customers – and this has only increased since it began under Obama.
The AG should be filing charges against Gov. Cuomo for about 6,500 cases of First Degree Manslaughter with Depraved Indifference.
The Democrat AG is attempting to dissolve the oldest civil rights organization (150 years) in the nation. One of its founding principles was protecting the rights of blacks to own firearms, as the Democrat KKK was terrorizing them.
Fundamentally this is an infringement against the right of assembly guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States.
I would like to hear from Lt Col North .
If the NRA is this corrupt why is she not investigating the clinton foundation. I’m sure she will find a whole hell of a lot more with them POS…then the NRA.
If Ms. James has so much evidence that there was impropriety by anyone at the NRA then why isn’t she bringing charges against them in a criminal court? It is obvious that she is just trying to make headlines for the Democratic party because they have nothing but a bunch of Socialists running for office. There other goal has been to bankrupt the organization by forcing them to defend themselves repeatedly in Courts over bogus lawsuits. Prince Andrew, Czar of New York has been having a heyday during the Covid-19. He has all but disbanded the legislature here, making edicts regularly. He has long sought to abolish guns in NY. I am sure she is doing his bidding and that he has his hands all over this. She should be going after him for he is the king of funneling money to his cronies with many of them having been convicted and sent to prison. The idiots in NYC control everything in the state. It is time the rest of us are set free from them and then we can sell them their water and electric that they steal from Upstate.
I presume the next target will be the Clinton Foundation?
Dissolution seems a bit extreme, but the bloated and lavish NRA leadership basically handed this case to the prosecutor. I can’t believe how this has been allowed by the board to go on for way too long. Moving to Texas won’t solve anything, there are some decent prosecutors there too!
What credible data have you reviewed that has convinced you that the NRA leadership is guilty and the NY AG has brought this suit in “good faith”?
How much smoke do you have to have before you believe that a fire is burning you house down? This crap has been going on for years! Sadly i was one of the ones not minding the hen house.
You really provide all the relevant details with the “smoke” and “hen house” data. Gosh, I sure hope the the NY AG cleans up this rare case of questionable behavior by a 501(c)3.
I sure wish the people of New York could dissolve the attorney general.
Obviously, this is a partisan, criminal abuse of prosecutorial power 90 days from the elections. Having said that, those NRA executives who have betrayed our trust need to be invited onward. Power corrupts, especially when it involves money. Other non-profits have experienced similar malfeasance. Wounded Warriors nearly dissolved due to loose with the money leadership, but it cleaned house and seems to be coming back. Planned Parenthood continues to pay many executives six-figure salaries and benefits, but no New York AG is going after it. I stopped being an NRA member three year ago due to its reported executives’ personal use of membership funds, and its illogical refusal to extend background checks to gun shows. (I buy my guns with an easily-obtained Nebraska backgroud check, and also have a current CCW permit.) Nevertheless, with the Democrats’ latest assault on the NRA, I reupped this morning, in fact for three years, as I feel they’ll need the money to fight this bogus AG’s “indictment.”
Gun shows are subject to all Federal, State and local laws. Any current or former NRA member should understand this fact and also should recognize that the NRA does NOT have the authority to “extend background checks.” You should have stopped after the first sentence.
Let’s not mistake Letitia James’ agenda here for anything but the political act that this is. The sad part is that it is likely that most of her accusations against Wayne LaPierre and his cabal are true. They have given her the ammunition, and it is not necessarily illegitimate to use that ammunition and turn the gun on them, pardon the analogy. For whatever good the NRA has done for gun owners, it has become a rich trust fund for the leadership to pilfer. This is why many members- or those who refuse to be members anymore- have been trying to speak up, but the board is completely in LaPierre’s pocket. Membership literally has no say in how the org spends its money. It might not be all bad if NRA is dissolved and a new org, with honest leadership dedicated to the ideals NRA was supposed to stand for- is started in another state. In fact, maybe NRA should stick to its original mission of promoting skills, safety and competition Let orgs like SAF, CCRKBA and GOA fight for us on the political front, where they do better anyway, without compromise. If these orgs were funded like the NRA was, we would all be better off. Let’s direct resources where it is not wasted.
NRA member for about 10 years but discontinued 2 years ago. Inquired in writing to NRA about allegations coming out back then. Looking for some transparency.
No response. Inquired a second time, registered mail. Letter refused.
I am now supporting NAGR.
Do not wish NRA as an organization to go away but cannot support until obvious internal problems resolved.
I’ll bet she never looked into the Clinton foundation, the biggest charity scam in the world.
Dissolve the NRA, not prosecute the alleged wrong doers? If that don’t smell like undue process I dont know what does!
If any of the allegations are true, then let the chips fall where they may.
But, how would her office even know about the internal finances of the NRA?
And why the focus on the NRA(we know why!) when you’ve got all those charges and a Whole lot more to go after with Murder Inc., aka Planned Parenthood? Now THAT’s an organization that truly needs to be disbanded.
The DEMs always try to use the supposed legal system as a tool and lever against their opponents . This is no different. It is a supposed legal way to economically break the NRA and if nothing else cause them a tremendous amount of grief. It is also huge distraction from any other DEM events like their own crimes !
if you read the complaint it is beyond ludicrous all the payroll issues and taxes and such. It is a quasi legal hunting expedition same as they have done to Trump from day one. and of course the REps just stand by and watch it all happen just as they did with Trump. We ahve maybe 24 good men in congress out of 535 and that is truly pathetic.
A “non-profit” organization [501(c)(3)] has to file financial reports and the NY AG is claiming that the NRA has violated it’s charter. I am sure there are a myriad of organizations in NY that could be accused of much worse acts but this is NOT an issue of justice. Hopefully the NRA will successfully defend against these charges and win the counter suits. The antis will try to obtain the NRA membership lists.
First of all, can anyone really hold credible an accusation of impropriety by any NY Official…Really! I’m 75 yoa and have been an NRA member longer than most people have been alive and a Life Benefactor Member for 25 years or more. I truly believe the NRA has been the savior of our Second Amendment Rights. I got a paper copy of an NRA magazine before I went paperless and I remember getting a ballot in my magazine. The ballot was for membership to vote on NRA Officers and Representatives. An accusation has made and should be looked in to, but by impartial investigators, certainly not by someone who wants to destroy the Organization. Membership can change the leadership without the need for conviction, but with just reasonable doubt. If you think you want to change the NRA, join and vote. If you are not an NRA Member, shut to hell up.
Well put. One question. How do we know if NRA membership voting is on the up and up? How did LaPierre defeat the efforts by Ollie North and other concerned, ethical executives to reform the spending excesses?
IF anyone inside the NRA did anything wrong with Funds, WE HAVE A SYSTEM too deal with that!!!! This MOFUGLY COW in New Yuck HAS NOTHING TO SAY ABOUT IT! She/It is overstepping IT’s authority! She/It should be arrested on Federal Charges of Violating It’s Oath of Office and interfering with/denying the Constitutional Rights of American Citizens!
The Barf-Bag should be in a Prison Cell on Gitmo! Along WITH Soros and any-other anti-American SCUM who is behind this crap! MOLON LABE!
This woman is a clear and present danger. She had essentially one plank in her platform when she ran for NYS AG — Put Trump in Jail. And no, I’m not saying the NRA management team is without sin, and there are other organizations who will get my support next time around. The NRA is clearly the boogie man in the left’s sights. They don’t want a 2nd Amendment; this is just another means for them to chip away at it.
Yes, we know; another ignorant, braindead, AntiAmerican, Communist COW, overstepping the authority she/it should NEVER have been given, and biting-off more than IT can chew! I wonder when the Sheeple are going to WAKE UP and FIRE ALL of this leftwing TRASH? STOP RE-ELECTING these CRIMINALS !Just WHAT do these antigun, anti-American sacks of *^%#@!* think is going to happen when they push too far? WE have the firearms! COME AND TAKE THEM!
I wonder why none of the democrat pols ever talk about going after the Clinton Foundation.
Time to clean house at the NRA. For to long our organization has been used as a wallet for a few at the top of the organization. It eventually happens with all charities the money is to great a lure and the folks running the thing start spending the organizations funds as their own. If it has to be taken down and started again so be it.
But it’s not the business of the NY attorney General. Its none of her business it’s ours. The members. I think things need to change too and slim it down but that’s up to us. The State of NY is not the victim yet if they succeed they will take all of the money the NRA has, not the members who are the real “victims”. If you don’t like it, don’t become a member. I’ve told them that if things don’t change I will not renew or donate. Hopefully they will but not through these idiots in NY.
If any NY citizen ever donated money to the NRA, then it is within the jurisdiction of the NY AG.
The NRA will not be able to clean its own house, every attempt has been thwarted by the board of directors. They all need to go and not be eligible for any positions. Throw out the bath water start over.
Everybody who has been heavily involved in an organization knows/knew someone that thought the organization could not go on without them. After they left, the organization continued on without missing a beat. There will always be someonre to fill the gap.
Wayne LaPierre is not irreplacable,,,by a long stretch. He, Marion Hammer and all of the “Old Guard” LaPierre loyalists are a liability and need to go NOW. If not it is THEY, not the AG of New York that is going to destroy the NRA.
I urge all serious 2A Supporters to contact the NRA today and let them know LaPierre needs to go…and go NOW!
About time.. Long overdue.
As a long time Patriot Life member these allegations disturb me. Not because they may or may not be true, but because of the negative light this is casting on the NRA.
I work with a very large group of conservative men that are sportsman, fishermen, etc.. I’ve been approached by several requesting to be sponsored into our private gun club and as with most private clubs you have to have and maintain an NRA membership.
When I inform them of this rule and ask if they are members it seems to be a big turn-off and I’ve been told by several they would never join the NRA because of the squandering of funds and mismanagement within the organization. I’ve been hearing this for years.
As a life member I’m suppose to help recruit new membership but it’s difficult when these rumors hover over the organization.
So it’s time for the NRA to go into damage control and fix this. As these rumors about wasteful spending continue to grow, more and more people are turning against the NRA. I will no longer contribute funds until this issue is addressed.
I call on Wayne LaPierre to step aside and for the NRA to put someone in his place with a better public image. Unfortunately Charlton Heston is no longer with us.
Okay, I know I just pissed off a bunch of people – let the mud slinging began!
It doesn’t disturb you that these allegations may or may not be true? I don;t think that is really waht you meant by reading the rest of your post>
BTW: You aren’t pissing me off. I agree 100%, and will go further by stating that that the NRA has become more of a hindrance to gun rights than a help. It needs a brutal housecleaning, starring at the top and going right down to the bottom.
Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. LaPierre has become drunk with his power, much like the labor union leadership did during the mid-20th century. He has lost touch with his job directive, his leadership, his moral compass, and the very purpose of the organization.
Obviously it disturbs me, since I’ve been a member of the NRA for over fifty years, or I wouldn’t have taken the time to post MY opinion. But in this country we have a little thing called ‘due process’. At this point it’s all allegations and conjecture, nothing has been proven, at least to the public.
But I stand by what I said. Currently, Mr. LaPierre is the face of the NRA and it’s strictly a political position. And since it’s a political position and his image is tarnished it’s affecting membership and membership drives. Whether or not the accusations against Mr. LaPierre are true he still needs to step aside for the betterment of NRA. That’s what I’m trying say.
Unfortunately this has been happening in non-profits for sometime now. Usually when the NP finds out that the leader is stealing they usually get rid of them quietly so not to effect getting more donations. The bad guys would get away with the money because the NPs didn’t want it in the press. The gov. then changed the laws in that they had to report any moneys stolen. Oliver North tried to do it quietly last year but I guess he didn’t know how deep the rot went and was kicked out himself.
This whole mess is sad in a number of ways, first I thought the NRA was doing a good job. Now the greedy ones have soiled the place and even if they recover and incorporate in another state they have lost the trust of many and will never be as strong as before. They have given the anti-2nd folks a victory and you can bet they will milk it for all they can.
To the writer of this article why leave out many facts and figures that I have read in other news sources. Is this a way to try and distort the news/information and for what reasons?
We must stand together or most surely we will fall individually! The Gun Owner/Patriot community needs to unite against the common foe to prevail. The NRA is the point of the spear in defense of our 2nd amendment rights, I’m sure mistakes have been made and need to be resolved but We must unite to oppose the despicable illegal democrat attack. There is a reason they chose the NRA to assault because they are foremost in the defense of our Gun Rights!
The founding fathers were brilliant. The Constitution is a work of art. However the one flaw was not accounting for attorneys general. Who controls these butt monkeys? They are just outside the law making up whatever they want. No one recalls or arrests them. End this. Declare Soros an enemy of the state. Seize all his holdings so he can’t bribe anyone else and use his money to solve the debt crisis. You do it for drug lords, why not him?
Amen too THAT!
“Declare Soros an enemy of the state. Seize all his holdings so he can’t bribe anyone else and use his money to solve the debt crisis. You do it for drug lords, why not him?”
He can’t and he won’t because both of our entrenched political parties here in the US are funding him.
Go to the web site “Open Society Foundation” and check who’s on their board and their political connections.
We must stand toge
This case from the ghetto bitch nyc AG has been bought and paid for by Dems and George pos soro’s they set this guy suing for his money back he donated well the govnt has to take back his tax credit he got too. They brought him in really fast after the porch monkey AG filed suite against NRA check his history of his voting and how long he was a Dem b4 become gop voter.
Those that do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Absolutely incredible how the agents of evil have used COVID-19 to turn our nation upside down. Can someone please tell me how George Soros has been able to sneak inside our political system so effectively, spending millions to get his radical left wing paid for Prosecutors and AG’s across our nation?
So now with the Marxist Dr. Fauci (whose strings are being pulled by psycho Bill Gates) placing our great nation into basically de facto Marshal Law with this COVID CRAP, we have allowed these radicals to usurp our constitution. These same face mask wearing bandits accused the Russians of interfering with our elections. Have we suddenly lost our collective intelligence? Can we possibly be this ignorant?
If black lives really matter, why have they not gone after Bill Gates from spreading Ebola in Africa or sterilizing millions of women in Africa by doctors in Kenya after abortion drugs were discovered in Tetanus vaccines? He pushes vaccines on a world when he won’t allow his own children to be vaccinated. He certainly has made his agenda clear to depopulate the planet.
What I find ironic is Antifa, the anti-fascist political movement funded by George Soros, which gave rise to BLM is funded by this Nazi Collaborator.
We are heading full throttle to our second civil war if we don’t stop this insanity.
Every gun owner can personally fight the Democrats by immediately joining the NRA this election year. Spread the word and get your friends to join. That would drive the left crazy. Wouldn’t that feel great?
Wayne LaPierre has not done anything to help gun owners in years . Gun Owners of America is the fighting force ..if Wayne LaPierre is guilty then all members fees should be refunded and then getvrid of the trash
Get rid of one, another two just pop up! Fact is there is NO WAY the NRA has spent MILLIONS AND MILLIONS of money SOLELY for our guns rights! THEY HAVE BEEN AND ALWAYS WILL BE A SHADY PLACE for suckers like me who ONCE paid membership fees until they screwed us on the bump stocks which I don’t care that much to not have… BUT I WANT AND STILL DO EVERY PENNY BACK WASTED LEEEEEGALLY that I spent to buy them NONE of which I EVER used and would LOVE to have the money now! F the NRA!!!!!!
I agree with that.
Calm down there Carl, relax, have another sip of the cool aid.
first let me qualify myself. my ancestors came here on the mayflower, they fought in every war. i have used guns my entire life and i’m 62 years old now.
the NRA DOES NOT fight for the rights of ALL AMERICANS! yes, i am a convicted felon! but i have NEVER been arrested for a violent crime, an assault of any kind, a sexual crime, or even for threatening anyone. never even went to court for a drug offense. i was charged with a drug related crime but i never went to court as the DA dropped the charge because caffeine pills is not a drug.
the FOUNDING FATHERS wrote the constitution to LIMIT THE POWERS OF GOVERNMENT, and said it was governments job to PROTECT our GOD given rights including the GOD given right to keep and bear arms.
the founding fathers were all CRIMINALS in the eyes of the government (the king of england).
the first shot was fired when the government tried to take the guns .
the NRA consistently makes concessions and lets the government make certain guns and gun parts illegal to possess and make new classes of crimes to take away gun ownership rights.
i have a conviction for “possession of a pistol prior to 5 years of discharge of sentence ” for mere possession of a pistol. that there shows that if a PROHIBITED PERSON WANTS A GUN, HE WILL HAVE A GUN, also was arrested one time and charged with having a SAWED OFF SHOTGUN but the BATF made the prosecutor give the items back as they were kits i was selling and not working guns.
if you look back in time in AMERICA, they use to give your guns back when you got out of jail , even for using those guns to rob banks, trains, even for shooting people.
IF THE GOVERNMENT CAN HAVE A WEAPON, THE CONSTITUTION , THEN I HAVE THE RIGHT TO HAVE THE EXACT WEAPONS AND NUMBER OF WEAPONS THE GOVERNMENT HAS! how many times has the government been caught LYING about why we should go to war? well take the VIETNAM WAR, they claimed the GULF OF TONKIN incidence , but now ADMIT THAT IT NEVER HAPPENED ( THEY LIED). then take IRAQ, the reason to attack IRAQ changed how many times when the reason proved to be FALSE?
to HELL with the NRA, and i hope they pay with their lives!!!
every person has the right to defend their selves , their families and their property from ANY AGGRESSOR, no matter what their past activities were. and if they can NOT use a FIREARM to protect them , WHAT KIND OF HELLISH WEAPON CAN THEY USE. lets just say that i will go to prison just so i can get access to a rapist etc… and KILL THE SON OF A BITCH!! i already did 10 calendar years and know it aint shit, as i was a member of most feared gang on the inside!!
but broken tv glass flying out of a pipe propelled by compressed air will shred everything in its path! ACIDS will dissolve flesh ,and bone too ! and i have much more nastiness up my sleeve too.
God didn’t give you a single right, man did when they wrote it in! Get your facts straight felon. You shouldn’t even be here since you shouldn’t own a single bullet or gun so why are you speaking on stuff that’s fully irrelevant to you?! By the way you speak of her you have weapons, in which case your a felon and clearly don’t follow the laws so why do you care about legalities you’ll never ever be able to enjoy since again your a felon and no ok her have the rights since you are a real drug dealer as nobody ever had been convicted of having caffeine pills and if they were for released with zero charges unlike you which tells me that you had real dope and they changed you for it OR YOUD HAVE THE RIGHT BUT YOU DONT…. LIAR!
I joined the NRA since the age of 16 and I’m 56 now. When i was 16 the NRA stood for their mission not only to uphold the US Constitution and it’s 2A rights but also supporting Gun Sports & Hunting. Over the years perhaps the last 20+ years the NRA has gotten in my humble opinion too far Right being political. Gun sporting along with 2A isn’t just a far Right wing movement, it’s for everyone that can legally own a gun should be supported. I know plenty of Democrats that own guns and like to shoot and hunt yet they seem just to be picked on and labeled a Liberal just for being a Democrat. NRA’s Wayne P. leadership has done nothing but implode the NRA from its rooted beginnings and have become a playing field of lavishness for its senior management and this is their own downfall from moving away from its mission, vision and charities. Yes the NRA has done plenty good in protecting our rights as gun owners but has done very little to attract new gun ownerships and introducing them into gun sports and hunting whether to the Left or Right. I still believe in its founding mission but Wayne needed to go a long time ago. This is totally Wayne’s unwillingness to allow NRA to advance and protect 2A the way it should been open to everyone not just one party movement along with fueling conspiracies. It should be attractive to all the people and not just a one very far right thinking.
How can the NRA be too far right? So you’re saying the NRA loves guns too much? I will never understand how any gun owner can vote Democrat in today’s political climate. The truth is the Democrat party has gone to far left.
“I know plenty of Democrats… yet they seem just to be picked on and labeled a Liberal just for being a Democrat.”
First, there are no more “Democrats.” The Democrat Party has become the Progressive-Socialist Party, and anyone claiming to be a “Democrat” is one of them. They have declared war on the Constitution, all Conservatives, America as we know it, and now….even White people!
So, Gone247, if you truly believe that we need to embrace “diversity” & “inclusiveness” in the NRA, then you are one those “woke” jerks and can go straight to Hell!
I believe the NRA has maintained it’s one issue lobby group policy for years. Prove me wrong and list your top 3 examples that prove otherwise. Better yet, just list your 1 top example.
How many pro 2A Democrats in the House and Senate can you list? Maybe you should take a hard look at that side of the aisle.
I’ve been a member of the NRA for a long time even though I considered the top leaders crooks. They are the most powerful gun lobby we have and I would hate to see it go away. LaPierre and other NRA executive thieves should have been expelled years ago. Remember the Ollie North debacle?
Bottom line:
Enemies both foreign and domestic.
This one’s domestic.
Is it just me or does anyone else think if the NRA as the largest militia in the nation?
NY is desperately clawing for money, all the rich people moved away and they’re literally begging for them to come back. It doesn’t surprise me at all that they’ll she to try and get money with how desperate the “city” has become.
The best thing that can happen for out country, is if an asteroid airburst over NYC and vaporized all of those cockroaches who live stacked upon each other like filthy scum covered rodents.
Is time to go back to political assassinations to clean out this anti American trash.
dust-off the ol’ guillotine?
Tell New York to go to hell. They should be cleaning up their criminal acts within their own state. They don’t even prosecute a governor who sent thousands of Corona patients to nursing homes that ended up killing thousands of innocent people. Shows you just how crooked they and their socialist damocrat party is. NRA members need to band together and take a class action out on them the crooked criminals.
As a post script, in response to ANTIFA’s BLM ….. “BLACK GUNS MATTER”
If the allegations in the complaint are true, then all who depended on the NRA to protect their Gun Rights have been duped, and ARE dupes. They volunteered to believe LaPierre’s BS hook-line-and-sinker.
Next time you worship a clay-footed spokesperson, find out how much he paid for his suit first.
The man has personal investments, and has for decades.
That aside, you show your bias quite well, so why are you here?
You are a Troll, plain and simple.
Finally, IF true, why has the NY AG decided to after the ORGANIZATION, a group of like minded citizens who had NO dealings in what she claims?
If YOU don’t see THAT as purely political, you really are biased and uninterested in any truth or real justice.
I suspect THAT is what you really are, and that makes you as bad as she is.
Careful the sides you choose, nothing ever good comes from siding with Marxists.
Well said. James showed her hand when she called the NRA, meaning all its members, a “terrorist organization.”
Hmmm, a Black female AG going after gun owners? Reminds me of another one in St. Louis, who just charged the McCloskey’s with a felony for defending their lives & property against her fellow scum in the BLM.
Siding with embezzlers usually doesn’t work out well either.
Over a year ago I stopped giving any more $ to the NRA. This was SOLELY BASED on what I see as the mismanagement of NRA funds. As a Patron Member myself, and as to other people I know with “inside” knowledge, I fully believe LaPierre and his cronies have done irreparable damage to “My NRA!” … When he goes, I will consider donating again.
That said, I agree with other posted comments that certain NY politicians and certain NY billionaires can go EAT SH**.
If we are going to dissolve the NRA because it’s leaders are crooks, we need to dissolve the Democratic party as well.
Yep. but she won’t go there. Wonder where HER money comes from?
Well I mean… it was LaPierre. He probably has been skimming off the top, which unfortunately has led to a weakness that the leftist tyranny will use to try to break in. It is too bad that as members we have no say in whether or not Chris Cox or LaPierre actually stay in office. We’d have been better served years ago without them in their respective offices. I just hope that the rest of the organization can recover in NY and file a counter lawsuit against the state of New York to get the Democrats disbanded as well. Doing that nationwide would be the biggest strike for freedom ever accomplished.
What do you mean, “no say?”
The NRA does hold elections, you know. If you’re a member, you can vote.
Are the NRA elections for board members only? If yes, then the board then decides the fate of Wayne L. Unfortunately the board is in Wayne L’s back pocket, so they won’t oust him.
Like how the left wing scum post on this network Throwing jabs at Trump. Go back to New York and worship Stalin No One gives a crap what NY has to say about anything!
I love the timing, ride the wave of the BLM, and virus frustrations, loss of income, and over all normalcy.
If you listen to the excuses given by the A.G. sounds like the back door dealings of a lot of some of the politicos in D.C.
Payola, kick backs wine, women, and bling.
They are trying any thing to side step #2, mag capacity, reducing ammo supplies, and any excuse to take our guns.
To them I say, history repeats it’s self. Ask the 6 million plus murdered during the hollicost.
The question is who will be next to pay the price of today’s complacent, ignorance?
As to the holocaust reference related to gun confiscation I think it is worth mentioning that Nazi Germany did not engage in wholesale confiscation .
In fact the german gun laws of 1938 were less restictive than the german guns laws of 1918 and private ownership was encouraged along with being less restricitve.
It must be pointed out that there was “selective” bans and confiscations . Anyone considered an enemy of the state ( Communists) and other groups, Gypsys ,jews , criminals and mentally deficient…but there was no nationwide ban or confiscatio.
Am I sensing that you’re OK with “selective” bans & confiscations?
Just another quota quack with less Intel than a men’s room porter.
That where she got her higher education.
Expect a protest outside your home from the Men’s Room Porters’ Assoc. LOL
Sounds like it’s alleged that the executives defrauded the members. Why then would the suit seek to disband the members’ organization? Seems like removing those responsible and making the organization accountable to the members would make a lot more sense.
Because unfortunately they will take any opportunity to break up the organization and he has been in office a really long time. As I said in my comment, I have very little doubt that LaPierre and probably Chris Cox have been skimming off the top for years. If the president of the NRA wasn’t just a figure head position, we’d probably have had positive change years ago and 2A advocates wouldn’t have had as much trouble supporting the NRA.
If the improprieties are true, she could charge those involved.
But who ever gave so much power to the state of New York to actually dissolve a national organization?
That would be like an AG from Boise Idaho dissolving Planned Parenthood.
if members of a group are breaking the law you punish those people NOT the entire organization but these hypocrites attack the entire NRA! They all have guns next to their beds. And who is going to protect the second amendment !!! Once all of our rights are taken away we will be 100% communist DON’T LET THEM RUIN THIS COUNTRY ANY MORE THAN THEY HAVE !!! They already took away FREEDOM OF SPEECH!!!@@@
If Wayne leaves/is thrown out – I’ll come back to the NRA. He has bilked the NRA platform for millions for his own pleasure. No one needs millions to run this thing. Bring the power back to the people who have joined it, not to some take all the money bureaucrat that has his hands in everybody’s pocket. Get rid of him.!
Proof? Or are you just like CNN?
According to the NRAs own tax filings, LaPierre has earned over $1m every year for almost a decade. In 2015, he earned $5.1m. How much more proof do you need?
So the NRA, becomes a for profit organization and they can tell her to pound salt.
Can someone explain to me how a NY AG has jurisdiction over an organization based in VA? In any capacity, criminal or civil?
Apparently the original charter granting it non-profit status was filed in New York , so that state can claim jurisdiction over monitoring it.
If any of this is true, we need a new gun rights organization, with new leadership. I’m getting the feeling the leaders of the NRA are as crooked as a dog’s hind leg…
And that’s what they want, so why are you drinking the Kool-Aid?
Surely you understand the NY AG is ANTI GUN?
AND a DEMOCRAT?
So, with the history of that in mind, why are you so quick to jump on THEIR bandwagon?
A) NY AG is an anti-gun Democtrat
B) NRA leadership is crooked as a dog’s hind leg.
Did it ever cross your mind that both A and B could be true? I mean, I realize that would require very nuanced thinking on your part. But I have faith, I think you are capable of it.
They’re thieves in the pockets of Putin. Just like Trump. They have as much to do with my 2A practices as Nascar has to do with my driving habits – good riddance to ’em all.
Spoken like a true left wing nutjob. No basis for your ridiculous comment, and apparently you’re a blind sheep like most lefties. Go back to your rock you hide under and keep sucking on the teat of those government handouts.
Are you referring to bump stocks? Or taking the guns first and due process second? “I like taking the guns early. “
Stop being such a right wing shill.
People like you are why the country is so divided. Someone says something negative about a guy who isn’t pro second amendment on an article about the second amendment, on a website about the second amendment and they are automatically “a blind sheep lefty,” yet Trump has done literally nothing to expand the second even when he had the Congress to do it. His judges have done nothing for the second. Just because he doesn’t follow the idiot who you put your faith in like a right wing, blind sheep nut job (see how easy this is) they are a left wing commie in your eyes.
You’re part of the problem. Someone doesn’t agree with you and your idiot in charge they are the problem, yet they are on a pro gun website, reading a pro gun article about an organization who is losing members left and right because of shady practices. I’d be willing to bet that “left wing nutjob” has more in common with you than you think.
Then again to reach out and have a conversation about a common interest you’d have to have an IQ higher than a pile of deer scat (which you clearly do not have).
You immediately see an attack on Trump as coming from the left but actual die hard conservatives don’t like him, the actual libertarians don’t like him, the left doesn’t like him. Also no one with half a brain blindly follows their leader (unless you live in North Korea).
Lol. You sir, have got to be the absolute biggest hypocrite I’ve seen. You best pick a side or you’re going to get squished in the middle. And if by being a veteran, gun owner, staunch supporter of the conservative movement, bible thumper and gun toter, then yup, I’m the problem. But it sounds like you, sir, and copulating flatulator, antifa supporter that you are, are the REAL problem in this country. Troll
Politics for most people now is probably NOT about who an individual voter might “like” the most but about who that voter dislikes the least. Judicial appointments will impact the nation years after Trump or Biden are long gone. Explain what you would expect for the 2A under Biden with Beto at his side? Are you claiming to have ever been an NRA member? Do you consider yourself a “conservative”? A “libertarian”? How many members have left the NRA?
Oh yes those precious “bump stocks” approved by the BATFE under BHO. A political and legal minefield that would have eventually have been used to undermined countless legal arguments on federal gun laws and semi automatics. A poison pill that lefties would have exploited.
OMG, are you still on the Russian collusion? Only a complete idiot still believes that LOONG discredited and totally fabricated lie.
Troll.
Spot on Big Al. These left wing nut pukes are sheep. Believing that if CNN or Nancy Pelosi or chuck Shumer says it, by God it must be true. Keep on keeping on brother
Just what I’ve come to expect from the people’s republic of New York . Let’s blame law abiding gun owners for crimes not the criminals. I found a sign on Amazon that sums it nicely – “If you come for mine… you better bring yours!” LEAVE OUR RIGHTS ALONE!!!!!!!!