Several days ago New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that she was filing a lawsuit against the National Rifle Association (NRA) as well as its leaders in an effort to dissolve the organization.
James is suing the NRA due to accusations that its Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre and several other NRA officials had financially exploited the organization for personal gain and for the personal financial gain of several relatives and associates.
Washington, D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine has also brought a lawsuit against the NRA for similar allegations, on the grounds that the District of Columbia’s laws require such organizations to use their funds for the public good and not for supporting political campaigns, lobbying, or private interests.
The accusations of financial exploitation are said to have come from several whistleblowers in 2018.
James also claimed that the NRA filed false reports with the New York Attorney General’s office and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), particularly when it came to the leaders being reimbursed for various expenses.
The NRA has responded by filing a countersuit, claiming that it has not violated any state not-for-profit-law and that the New York Attorney General’s office is suing the NRA due to politics.
NRA President Carolyn Meadows said the lawsuit was a “baseless, premeditated attack” which targets not just the NRA but the constitutional rights it defends.
Meanwhile, President Trump has commented that the NRA should move to Texas, due to that state’s pro-gun culture.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also believes the NRA should move to Texas, even saying that he would welcome the NRA due to their efforts in defending the Second Amendment.
Both Paxton and Meadows have pointed out the timing of such a lawsuit, considering it has been filed in the midst of a presidential election year.
It appears that such a lawsuit being brought by the New York Attorney General’s office is politically motivated, given the anti-gun atmosphere among Democrats in New York (and elsewhere for that matter). Curiously, gun sales in New York were up 121%, so perhaps that was another reason the lawsuit was filed.
The idea of wanting to dissolve the NRA is not only politically motivated, but it is absolutely absurd. Because, if the NRA is dissolved, then what will stop the authorities from trying to shut down other organizations based on their political views?
Needless to say, these lawsuits should be dismissed. And if not, then hopefully they will not prevail in court.
