The New York AG filed a lawsuit today to, well, destroy the National Rifle Association:
New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit Thursday against the National Rifle Association and four individuals, including powerful leader Wayne LaPierre, seeking to dissolve the gun rights advocacy group and accusing top executives of “years of illegal self-dealings” that funded a “lavish lifestyle.”
James said the not-for-profit organization undercut its charitable mission by engaging in illegal financial conduct, including diverting millions of dollars “for personal use by senior leadership, awarding contracts to the financial gain of close associates and family, and appearing to dole out lucrative no-show contracts to former employees in order to buy their silence and continued loyalty.”
“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,” she said. [NBC News]
It sure sounds superficial, doesn’t it? Especially if you’re a member who doesn’t pay attention to organization politics and rumors. But there’s a wee bit behind it:
… which was filed in state court in Manhattan following an 18-month investigation and seeks fines and remuneration.
An eighteen month investigation is no small thing. It suggests substantial issues have been discovered, as well as attention to detail. This is where a member should be squirming. And because it’s a State issue, there will be no Trump pardon, who commented
I think the NRA should move to Texas and lead a very good and beautiful life.
Which sounds asinine, at best, to me. Or more accurately, like a man completely unsure of how to respond to unexpected bad news. I wonder how long before he begins disclaiming ever knowing about the organization.
But just an 18 month investigation isn’t a good enough clue. What about former NRA President Oliver North? Remember when he quit the top position, alleging financial irregularities? You’d think a far-right extremist such as North would have fit right in at the NRA.
And then there’s the FBI investigation concerning Russian ties.
From extremists world-wide, it’s rare to find a virtuous example – some are just crooks, and some are self-justifying crooks. The NRA has been surging toward the right-wing fringe for decades under the stewardship of CEO Wayne LaPierre, and frankly I’m completely unsurprised at this lawsuit. Not because I know of anything in particular, but simply from the reports and the behaviors. It practically screamed circumstantial corruption, and I’m only surprised it took this long for someone with investigative capabilities to file a lawsuit.
And with the NRA under financial stress due to Covid-19, they may have a hard time defending themselves.
