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New York Attorney General Files Suit Seeking To Dissolve The NRA

By Jeremy Bernfeld

Published August 6, 2020 at 5:40 PM EDT

NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre speaks at the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland.

This story will be updated.

The attorney general of New York called for the dissolution of the National Rifle Association in a lawsuit filed Thursday.

The suit, filed by Attorney General Letitia James, accuses top NRA leaders of using the gun rights group’s funds for personal gain and engaging in a pattern of fraud to conceal their actions.

James’ office has been investigating the organization for more than a year. The investigation found a “a culture of self-dealing, mismanagement, and negligent oversight at the NRA that was illegal, oppressive, and fraudulent,” and contributed to the loss of millions of dollars, according to a statement by the attorney general’s office.

The NRA is headquartered in Fairfax County, Virginia, but is chartered in New York, giving James jurisdiction.

The suit targets NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre specifically, as well as current and former lieutenants. LaPierre was re-elected as executive vice president and chief executive officer after a bitter internal battle and a controversial vote at the organization’s 2019 convention, which saw the ouster of Oliver North as NRA president.

The NRA, and LaPierre, have been dogged by allegations of self-dealing and misspent funds for years. And though gun sales have skyrocketed during the pandemic, the NRA has stumbled financially.

Guns & America is a public media reporting project on the role of guns in American life.