ALBANY – State Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit in the state’s supreme court seeking dissolution of the National Rifle Association and accuses current and former officials of diverting funds for their own personal use.
In a news conference on Thursday, James announced that, in addition to the dissolution of the NRA, the state is seeking restitution from four men, including NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre who James says “Basically looted the NRA’s assets.”
Additional defendants include Woody Phillips, the former treasurer and CFO of the NRA, Joshua Powell, LaPierre’s former chief of staff, and John Frazer, the NRA’s corporate secretary and general counsel.
The NRA is registered as a “not-for-profit” in New York which gives the attorney general’s office jurisdiction under her “Charities Bureau”.
The NRA “was serving as a personal piggy bank for the four individuals,” says James. The attorney general claims that LaPierre, the national face of the NRA, exploited the organization for personal benefit, including spending hundreds of thousands of dollars belonging to the NRA on personal trips for himself, his family, and his extended family.
When asked why she was seeking complete dissolution as opposed to removing the two remaining defendants, James said that the actions are widespread in the organization. “The NRA is a breeding ground for greed.” James also said, “This sends a strong and loud message that no one is above the law – not even the NRA!”
Hyde Park resident Stephen Sutka expressed his displeasure with the lawsuit, saying “This State has been after our 2nd Amendment rights for a while now,” adding that the suit is “Nothing more than a back door attempt to discredit the organization as a whole in order to move forward on their larger plans – Democrats attempting to make even more New Yorkers unhappy.”
Robert Ridley of Ulster County declined to comment on the merits of the case but did say “I would like the NRA to get back to their foundation of gun safety education and responsible ownership,” adding “The vigorous defense of our Second Amendment right needs to continue.”
Jackie Emslie, an educational instructor for the NRA says the organization plays an important role in the community. Emslie spends a considerable amount of her time training women on the safe and proper use of firearms. Addressing the current political climate in the country, Emslie said ” I look forward to continuing conducting courses for gun owners, especially the thousands right here in my area that are just now discovering this constitutional right and American freedom, Especially now with the movement to defund and reduce law enforcement capabilities. How anyone can call this ‘greedy’ is beyond me. “
