New York Attorney General Letitia James says in a newly announced lawsuit that the National Rifle Association (NRA), the long-criticized organization of petulant gun lovers, has been shown in evidence to be "fraught with fraud and abuse."
The suit was announced Thursday and aims to put the organization completely out of business.
In a statement, James pointed to the power and influence of the organization as key in its ability to suppress this alleged behavior for so many years.
"The NRA's influence has been so powerful that the organization went unchecked for decades while top executives funneled millions into their own pockets," James said. "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."
The suit details years of "illegal self-dealing" conducted in order to ensure that NRA leaders could continue to dump money into their sickeningly lavish existences. Specifically, James said, the organization engaged in the diversion of millions of dollars away from its projected charitable mission and instead put to use for a range of "personal" expenses benefiting senior leadership.
Here's a more comprehensive summary, straight from James, who included dozens of examples of this behavior in the suit ranging from private jet costs to family trips to the Bahamas:
The suit specifically charges the NRA as a whole, as well as Executive Vice-President Wayne LaPierre, former Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Wilson "Woody" Phillips, former Chief of Staff and the Executive Director of General Operations Joshua Powell, and Corporate Secretary and General Counsel John Frazer with failing to manage the NRA's funds and failing to follow numerous state and federal laws, contributing to the loss of more than $64 million in just three years for the NRA.
Dating back to 1871, the NRA has operated under the New York-registered description of being a 501(c)(4) not-for-profit.
