A jury found the NRA and former NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre liable in a civil fraud suit brought by corrupt New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Jurors said LaPierre “caused $5.4 million in financial damage to the NRA, but has already repaid at least $1 million of that amount.” The 74-year-old appeared stoic as the verdict was read. NBC News reported.
The jury said that LaPierre's co-defendant, Wilson Phillips, “caused $2 million in financial harm to the NRA, as it found, while Fraser caused no financial harm to the group.” The outlet said.
Wayne LaPierre announced last month that he would resign as leader of the National Rifle Association (NRA) just days before his civil trial began.
Remember, Letitia James vowed to go after the National Rifle Association, which she called a “terrorist organization,” before she became police chief in New York State.
In August 2020, Letitia James said her office was seeking an order to disband the entire NRA during a press conference.
The NRA investigation began in 2019.
Letitia James said the NRA was a personal piggy bank for Wayne LaPierre, CEO of the NRA.
Later that month, the National Rifle Association announced a lawsuit against New York State Attorney General Letitia James.
“The NRA continues to defend the lawsuit brought by the New York Attorney General, and LaPierre is an individual defendant in this action. It is understood that the NYAG pledged to pursue the NRA when it was a candidate for office, and after being elected, it filed a lawsuit to dissolve the association in August 2020,” the NRA said. In this case, the trial proceedings begin on Monday. Press release.
Quoted from NBC News:
A jury concluded Friday that Wayne LaPierre diverted millions of dollars from the National Rifle Association to live a lavish lifestyle, while the gun rights group failed to properly manage its finances.
The ruling comes after five days of deliberations and ends a seven-week civil corruption trial in New York City.
The other defendants are John Fraser, the authority's secretary and general counsel, and Wilson “Woody” Phillips, its former treasurer and chief financial officer.
The jury ruled largely in favor of James, finding that the NRA failed to properly manage its nonprofit and its assets at any time between March 20, 2014, and May 2, 2022.
Jurors also decided that LaPierre, Phillips and Frazier all violated their legal obligation to perform the duties of their office in good faith.
Jurors also found that the NRA violated the law Due to the failure to adopt a whistleblowing policy and that eight employees suffered due to the violation.
State Supreme Court Justice Joel Cohen will have the final say on monetary damages and damages. This decision could happen in July.
Cohen could also decide whether any of the individual defendants should be permanently barred from serving on the board of directors of any New York charity and whether an independent monitor should oversee the NRA's finances.
