Citing what she called quote brazen illegality, New York State Attorney General Letitia James said today that the state has filed a lawsuit seeking to dissolve the National Rifle Association.
James said the suit follows an 18-month investigation that found evidence that the non-profit gun-rights organization was riddled with fraud and abuse, which she detailed at a press conference in Manhattan.
“They used millions upon millions of dollars from the NRA for personal use,” she said, “including for lavish trips for themselves and their families, private jets, expensive meals and other private travel.”
James said using the organization as their “personal piggy bank” resulted in the loss to the NRA of more than $64 million in just three years.
James said the suit charges the NRA’s four top leaders, including Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre, with failing to manage the NRA’s funds and failing to follow numerous state and federal laws. The NRA is registered as a nonprofit in New York. Its headquarters are in Fairfax, Virginia.
“Today we send a message that no one is above the law, not even the NRA, one of the most powerful organizations in the country," James said.