NY AG files lawsuit to dissolve one of the country’s oldest civil rights organizations
Continuing their repeated attacks on the National Rifle Association, the New York State Attorney General is now suing the NRA over allegations of fraud. She’s now looking to force the NRA, founded in 1871 in New York and still registered there, to dissolve. This is the toughest sanction should can pursue.
There are 5.5 million members of the NRA. Compared that to other leading civil rights organizations like the NAACP (500k) and the ACLU (1.2m).
I don’t expect the NRA to back down, as this is only the latest attack from the politicians at the top in New York. They must have solved all the other problems already.
Source; NPR
Category: "Your Tax Dollars At Work", Second Amendment
Good luck with this politically-motivated stunt.
It would have been much harder if they had not violated their non-profit status.
Six of one, half-dozen of the other.
Just like every other NPO.
Good luck with that argument. Especially at a state level.
Geeze, I just gave them $125 to extend my life membership
another fives years beyond my death.
The Marxists have been trying to bankrupt the NRA for decades.
All it does is generate more contributions and memberships.
Pretty sure her security people are members and were trained
by NRA certified instructors like just about every LEO out there.
That reminds me, I gotta renew my membership.
Never underestimate a politician’s capacity of cowardly chickenshit!
I can now expect more letters from the NRA asking for money.
I’m not sure on the legal stuff, but I’m sure Texas or some other states would be glad to charter the NRA.
I once complained about the excessive mail and got
the response that they do it because it works.
It was suggested that I just leave the literature in
public places for anyone to read. And I do.
Whenever I get a solicitation for membership from AARP, with a postage-paid envelope, I look for any NRA material I have laying around that doesn’t ID me. Stuff as much as I can into the AARP envelope and mail it off to them.
Definitely Oklahoma– they refreshingly think you’re weird if you don’t own at least three guns there.
Why is the NRA still even registered in NY? Sure it was founded there in 1871, but NRA should have re-registered the org in a much friendlier state a long time ago, if that was possible…
I am a member of the NRA.
Wayne LaPierre has almost destroyed the NRA. He is a legal coward, an Administrative bully, a self-aggrandizing maniacal leader.
It will be found that he has been up to all kinds of nonsense.
I have seen his kind of “Jim Baker” all fluff no balls debackle before.
The reason the NRA has been so quiet during all this BLM violence is because Lil Wayne is a pussy.
JMHO
I’m also a member. LaPierre has always irritated me somehow, I’m not sure why. I had some doubts about the NRA hierarchy after the whole debacle with Ollie North and the NRA. Just seemed that something was missing in that story. But, that kinda fits with Ollie’s history.
Dave,
FWIW, I cannot stomach Wayne LaPierre. At. All.
I agree with you 100% on that. If the NRA falls, it will be due to Wayne LaPierre and his sycophants.
I am a Life member, and know there is a lot of good the NRA does, but LaPierre is going to destroy it all to keep his position and get his way.
Now I need a beer to relax some.
He has used his influence to abuse NRA funding for his own benefit to the tune of millions of dollars.
He has to go.
The NRA won’t survive under his criminal incompetence.
I am an endowment life member, and whenever I answer one of their fundraising calls I tell them “call me back after LaPierre is fired”. He isn’t a very good face of the organization, and he’s been there waaaay too long.
Somebody go check the grave sites of all former members of the Grand Army of The Republic. The headstones may be slightly askew from all of the spinning them boys are doing.
As it is in the other thread about the SF Colonel. Being accused does not make one guilty. Had just read the Fox article on this…15K comments and climbing.
Will the last true American Patriot leaving Noo Yawk City, please bring the Flag.
“NRA Fights Back, Files Its Own Suit Against NY Attorney General Seeking To Disband Organization”
https://www.foxnews.com/us/nra-lawsuit-ny-attorney-general-lawsuit
“The National Rifle Association is fighting back against a lawsuit filed Thursday by New York’s attorney general by submitting its own civil suit against state officials.”
“The NRA’s lawsuit was filed federal court of New York and alleges Attorney General Letitia James “made the political prosecution of the NRA a central campaign theme” when she was running for the AG’s office in 2018, and has not treated the association fairly since.”
“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.”
“President Trump also slammed James’ suit against the group, calling it “a very terrible thing.”
“I think the NRA should move to Texas and lead a very good and beautiful life. 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.”
Beat me to it ninja. Had ducked out of here to go back and snag this to post. Great minds and all of that.
gabn/rtr/hbtd
Yep…the King and Queen of Battle DO have great minds and DO think alike, especially when it comes to gabn/hbtd/rtr and Bobby Lee.
This is gonna be an interesting Fall season reference College Football and the upcoming Election.
“Virgil Caine is my name and I drove on the Danville train…
‘Til Stoneman’s cavalry came and tore up the tracks again…
In the winter of ’65, we were hungry, just barely alive…
I took the train to Richmond that fell…
It was a time I remember, oh, so well…”
😉😎
They kilt the Gallant Young Pelham, and Gnrl Lee mighta had to surrender, but I didn’t. They took my horse and made him surrender; I suspect he’s pulling a wagon up Kansas way by now.
“Bring up the 12 pounders!”
“All the horses are dead here Sir.”
“Then bring ’em up by mules then!”
“All the mules are dead here sir.”
“Well bring up by hand, Boys!”
“All the Battery Men are dead here Sir.”
“But I need them 12 pounders!”
“There ain’t no artillery left here Sir!”
“They laid waste to our land, they took it from our hand…from Atlanta to Savannah, they scorched our Earth.”
“They stole our corn and wheat…they left no food to eat… Lord they made everybody suffer…”
Not to worry ninja, the Tide gonna Roll, The Big Dawg gonna eat, and (GO) Army gonna (BEAT) Navy. Oh…and btw…Trump is gonna be re-elected barring an outright theft of the election. They know how many ballots they need to have stuffed in the boxes.
Funny I thought DeBlasio and Cuomo were requesting federal monies to cover their shitty performance that resulted in large shortfalls to budgetary concerns…
If they have no money perhaps pursuing a costly to taxpayers lawsuit that when lost won’t provide any coverage of those costs might not be the wisest action they can take.
Not sure that the state of New York would care, but how much tax revenue does this bring to the state?
This could be a huge loss if the organization moves to a more friendly state (such as Texas).
AS long as he is going after non-profits, do you suppose that he would find some time to look over the books of Jesse Jackson’s organization to see if he is funneling donations to any more of his Baby Mamas?
I suggest you not hold your breath waiting for that particular tree to bear fruit…
Naw, Jesse Jackson pays the (D)ictators so that they don’t see anything wrong with him.
Dats de REVEREND Jackson mind you!
They should relocate to Concord or Lexington Masachusetts.
Massachusetts is as, or more, anti-gun than NY is.
Whether you like LaPierre or not, this is as broad an attack on the Constitution as ever seen. Trying to disband a non-violent lobbying group because you don’t like their politics? You say you would rather donate to GOA… what make you think they aren’t next? In better times, the state’s attorney would be hauled up quick by the short and curlies. If she gets away with this, though, better star6t cleaning and reloading ASAP – troubles’ on the way.
Little Wayne and his group are the thorn in the NRA’s back for years and Mr Hardin is right about him. Audit him and his clan and pay the org back the funds and new leadership too.
I met Little Wayne at a gun conference in L.A. in the late 80’s back when i thought there was still hope for California and he and they did lots for California, ha.
I’m a life member but my money now a days goes to other gun orgs and I’m glad i left the Peoples Republic back in 95.
Typical lawfare tactic. When will the Alabama AG (for instance) go after the SPLC for all the shenanigans associated with Morris Dees pay and the giant mansion he had in Montgomery? It won’t happen, but if it were to happen all the lefties praising the NY AG would sing a different tune.
I have nothing against the NRA, but I love seeing corrupt assholes be exposed – especially when they hide under the guise of ‘charity’. If LaPierre has been misusing funds in an illegal way, and other top execs covered for him, I want to see them taken down. Then, hopefully, the NRA can rebuild without the corruption.
I don’t know anything about Morris Dees, but if he’s done similar things, I’d be ecstatic to see him face justice, too. No issue there!
LaPierre’s annual salary is over $2 million per year, and for what? Annoying the members and quaking in front of people like the NYAG?
Another place where “term limits” might help.
dammit, I hate when someone who’s raised membership from a million to five million gets paid highly. I’m not a huge fan, but in general over the last 20 some years he has taken the NRA a long way – and fought some very good fights. Not all that maybe needed to be fought, maybe, but his track record is objectively been far more effective than many they have had.
LC, I don’t believe you.
You want to take our guns.
I know your type.
Sneaky like snake, claim anti-corruption, but the goal is to weaken gun rights.
Yes, it’s all part of a dark plot. See, Soros gave me money to buy my guns, and pays me to go to the range, so I can come on to this website -one with no real political clout that I know of- and secretly pretend to be anti-corruption, all to mask my sneaky agenda to weaken gun rights. Which, if you’ve seen how often I change opinions around here (which is to say, very infrequently), isn’t exactly a brilliant plan.
Alternatively, maybe I just don’t like corruption?
Given the typical lefty perfidy on the topic, and the endless examples of treachery, why would anyone think the trend is predictive?
Oh, we are for … just not yours.
You know when Leftists lie– their lips move.
Good thing I’m not a leftist, I guess?
Of course, if I were, the tautology would dictate I’d say the same thing, no?
So, an admission?
That was … amusing.
True, but irrelevant. Asking a prospective tautological liar if he/she is an invariant liar will always result in their denying same. The answer can be deduced a priori and hence gives no new information pertinent to determining whether they are in fact an invariant liar.
A better test of that individual’s status as an invariant liar would be ask the individual a question about a known quantity – e.g., “Is the Revolutionary Communist Party of the USA a part of the Radical Left?” That answer would yield new information allowing an observer to determine whether or not the individual was indeed an invariant liar.
Of course, that tautology assumes that there is such a thing as a tautological (e.g., invariant) liar. Outside of perhaps a few mentally ill individuals, I kinda doubt that such an individual exists.
I think we can all agree on that. Does that require dissolving the whole organization?
If he’s breaking the law, as her suit alleges, then she needs to charge him criminally. She’s saying that the men at the top are committing crimes, but isn’t charging them and is instead going after the non-profit itself. That’s a blatantly political move.
She’s throwing all 5.5 million members of the NRA in with LaPierre and condemns the whole group. If he’s in fact committing fraud against those members, she’s committing a gross miscarriage of justice by not seeking redress of those crimes on behalf of the victim. Which is literally her job.
I don’t know? I guess it depends on how deep the corruption goes, what the finances are, etc. It might be in the members’ best interest to dissolve it if dues are going to legal battles or debts incurred by the mismanagement. But I know you clearly meant is the AG in their right to take this action?
And I admit, I’m torn on that. I want to think it should be up to the members, nearly all of whom are surely fair, honest people and not involved in any fraud. But if I switch the NRA for, say, a cancer charity accused of fraud -just to change the political calculus- then on the one hand, I’d like to think that people who donate to it are informed enough to know of the charges, the problems with leadership, and could take their business elsewhere or reform it. But human nature rarely works that way – people see it, still, as a good cause, and donate, and assholes get rewarded.
All in all, you’re probably right and it shouldn’t be dissolved via fiat (and I don’t think it will be in the end), but when you’re the one wielding that power, it’s hard to resist. If you could shut down BLM, would you? Their leadership is also shitty, but the majority of people who support it are just ordinary folk.
Given the players track records, I do not believe this is anything other than political NIGYYSOAB.
No real effort to go after “corruption”, just ” opponents”.
BLM leadership is living pretty large. No query there? Unions kinda have defined money shenanigans. “Can’t touch this”.
It’s a political hit job, timed for the election.
That the org is screwed up is just handy for the hit job. If it was funding the left it would be painted a saint.
Can you say “Planned Parenthood”? You know, the folks credibly accused of harvesting and selling baby parts?
Clearly the AG isn’t in her right to do it. Pretty clear to me it’s a violation of the First Amendment to prevent an organization of so many people to freely associate. That she’s doing it because they engage in political speech is a second violation of the First.
People can freely associate with who they want. I wouldn’t want to disband BLM or the American Cancer Society.
If people want to associate with BLM, then they deserve the reputation afforded to those who associate with them. You can’t be “ordinary” folk and support a racist, Marxist organization.
Is there anything in her paperwork that alleges that the NRA has done anything illegal in New York? Does she even have standing to file this suit? It seems that the NRA is headquartered in Virginia, so how does she have standing?
LC-Dees was fired by the SPLC last year. The pictures of his elaborate home were featured at one point in the Montgomery paper (and can still be found online).
Thanks, I’ll have to look it up. If I ever need to get my blood pressure higher, I just read up on people who head up charities, and instantly it works.
Movement – business – racket.
Sadly all too often.
I am now -very- picky about who gets my charity cash. It does allow concentrating more to the good. But it is … distasteful … to learn a previously good org has gone scam.
SPLC,ADL?
While I’m not “a gun guy”, I believe in 2nd Amendment. This is just a taste of what life would be like in the new “Socialist People’s Republic of People of Color” where Beto & Fartucus are coming for your guns.
They told us for years you don’t need guns because you can call the police, but now they want to take away your guns and your police.
Phuque them!
Wayne La Pierre has been to the NRA what Roger Goodell has been to the NFL…
…Anita Bryant did for Orange Juice
… Pete Rose did for Off Track Betting
…ExPH2 did for Gravy
Great! Now I have to make gravy and it isn’t even September….
I’ll bring the biscuits
I might be able to find a recipe for King of Battle’s famous cathead biscuits. I’ll search for it.
Did Roger Goodell pay a young intern exorbitant amounts, too?
They trul have been abusing their non-profit status and what they are doing is tantamount to embezzling millions for the benefit of their senior executives.
They are also implicated in numerous campaign finance violations, including with regard to illegal foreign donors.
I think it should be a criminal investigation. Not just civil. But much of their alleged illegal activities are under federal jurisdiction.
Call me when their CEO starts getting around 35-40% of the annual “take” in salary and benefits, like the MRFF. Then maybe I’ll agree that you have a point.
For better or worse, CEOs and senior executives of non-profit organizations getting large salaries is nothing new. And it is decidedly not illegal if reported properly on IRS filings.
LOL, Mikey and his clowns got pissed when I would no longer link to them while posting about his asshattery.
IAVA, DAV, WW, etc. are all suspect in my opinion.
But, I have a special place for Mikey and his fight against Dominionists.
Whataboutisms? MRFF is a fraction of its size. So the director is a larger percentage of the total employees and does a greater percentage of the organizations workload that La Pierre.
And Weinstein does not get anywhere near $5,000,000 in compensation not to mention all the fraudulent travel expenses and highly controversial payments he received that were in addition to his compensation. It is not a coincidence that he chose a CFO with a history of embezzling more than $1,000,000 from his previous firm.
I was not talking about his compensation. I was referring to the question all ADDITIONAL payments, gifts, travel for friends and family, personal items, shopping sprees, inflated fees and other nonsense La Pierre and other execs are funneling out of the NRA.
And the involvement in campaign finance violations in collaboration with illegal foreign donors is also a huge deal.
It didn’t take long for you to go back to complaining about whataboutism after you were using whataboutism, what, 24, 48 hours ago? I guess it’s (D)ifferent when you do it.
As Twist noted, you were apparently OK with making that type of argument yourself a couple of days ago. So I thought I’d give you a taste of the same – and now you’re complaining.
God, you’re predictable. Hypocrite much, Commissar?
Do you even know how many full-time employees MRFF has? Or how much Mikey Whinestein’s salary and benefits are? Or how many hours he claims to work weekly for
his cash cow hobbyhis foundation?Of course you don’t. All of that is public record – but finding it would require some effort on your part. And it also might tell you something that you don’t want to know.
How about the Clinton Foundation? Can 93% really go to overhead? (Legitimately, anyway… )
Given the size of the Clintoons’ egos, you gotta have a lotta overhead to cover those swelled heads.
Given your antics here, and boasts of elsewhere antics, you have zero credit as a critic of moral standing.
If the NRA goes under, I’m positive it will rise up from the ashes like the Phoenix on my Cairns New Yorker.
I am a Life Member and don’t want to see the NRA destroyed. That said, I’m not sure who will destroy it first: LaPierre or that NY DA. Anyone with half a brain should have seen this lawsuit coming. LaPierre’s shenanigans have been going on for decades and he has left the organization vulnerable because of his greed.
What about NAMBLA? They’re advocating something illegal. Apparently, that’s okay for Leftists.
They fund lefties.
As long as the check clears…
https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2020/08/06/wayne-lapierres-extravagant-travels-are-central-in-new-yorks-nra-lawsuit/
LaPierre also has a poison pill clause if they remove him requiring he receive his NRA salary for life.
The NRA has less than $10M in assets at this point.
This lawsuit is doing the NRA a favor. It was about to go bankrupt soon anyway.
This lawsuit likely will result in dislodging LaPierre from his claim on the remaining assets of the NRA during the bankruptcy.
Strange, your claims about their financial status comes from the left. The sources I see are such luminaries as the usual alphabet networks, MSDNC, CNN, Bloomberg and such.
According to Propublica, the NRA took in between $160milion and $415million in a given year over a decade’s time, that would be the last decade that records are available for. Again, citing the 2016 return, the NRA took in $336M+ in the year the form 990 covers.
https://www.thetrace.org/2018/08/nra-financial-health-new-york-state-lawsuit-carry-guard/
This links to a 2016 filing with the IRS by the NRA, https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/530116130/201722619349300507/IRS990
Did you make up that $10M figure, or did you get it from CNN? Because that form for 2016 is the last one the IRS has released, to this point.
Waste of time to communicate facts to the mendacious mollusk. Squidward aka Poodledick just pulls numbers out of his ass (fourth point of contact to us airborne troopers) or regurgitates whatever Progda he reads.
Don’t guess anyone would find Nick Saban’s salary at NINE MILLION DOLLARS per year excessive? And we wonder why tuition fees continue to increase so very often.
I don’t think you can blame Saban for the tuition increases, Jarhead.
Since Saban arrived, the UofA has increased both enrollment and the fraction of out-of-state students dramatically. Roughly 60% of incoming freshmen (59% in 2017) now seem to be from out-of-state – which means they each pay $20k more annually in tuition.
As the linked article below notes, the number of out-of-state students a state-supported university attracts has been found to be linked to athletic success.
UofA had 38,563 total students in 2017. If Saban’s athletic success is responsible for attracting even 5% of those out-of-state students attending UofA in place of an in-state student and paying out-of-state tuition, that means that he’s responsible for UofA receiving an additional $22.76M in tuition alone due to his efforts. And that doesn’t include increased ticket sales, fundraising, and marketing rights fees that the UofA Athletic departments have received during his tenure (they’ve each gone up dramatically since his arrival, almost certainly due to his success in bringing the university NCAA football championships, and altogether the UofA athletic department’s revenue has increased 40% during his tenure). Athletic department expenses have increased less than 30%, so that’s also a huge net gain for the school.
In short: yes, Saban is indeed paid a huge salary. But he seems to have returned the university an annual net profit of multiple times his salary (possibly as much as 10 times his annual salary in aggregate) through his success. I don’t think you can blame him for any tuition increases the UofA Board of Regents (or other governing body) has mandated during the past decade or so.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristidosh/2018/07/28/nick-saban-gets-another-pay-raise-from-alabama-and-the-numbers-show-he-deserves-it/#6a9284e75834