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Former NRA chief says appointing a financial monitor would be ‘putting a knife in’ the gun group – WWLP
JAKE OFFENHARTZ, Associated Press
34 minutes ago
FILE – Wayne LaPierre, former CEO of the National Rifle Association, walks down the aisle of civil court in New York, Monday, July 15, 2024. LaPierre told a New York judge Monday, July 29, that appointing an independent monitor to oversee the gun rights group’s finances would be like “sticking a knife right into the heart of the organization and twisting it.” (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — Former National Rifle Association chief Wayne LaPierre told a New York judge Monday that appointing an independent monitor to oversee the gun rights group’s finances would be “tantamount to sticking a knife into the heart of the organization and twisting it.”
LaPierre’s strong opposition to the oversight mechanism came on the final day of arguments in the second phase of a civil lawsuit that New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed against the NRA.
A jury found LaPierre and another lawmaker liable for millions of dollars in improper spending in February, and James is seeking an independent monitor to oversee the powerful group’s finances and block LaPierre, a spokesman for the organization for decades, from returning to the NRA.
In a brief statement Monday, LaPierre described the appointment of a monitor as an existential threat to the group because it would send a message to potential members and donors that the NRA was “being watched by this attorney general in New York who they feel has crossed the line.”
If the monitor is appointed, he said, “General James will have achieved his goal of fulfilling his campaign promise to, in effect, disband the NRA for lack of money and members.”
LaPierre also told the judge that banning his involvement in the NRA would violate his First Amendment rights by preventing him from “being a voice for this organization in terms of its political advocacy.”
LaPierre served as CEO and executive vice president of the group for more than three decades. He resigned in January, on the eve of the first phase of the trial.
Those proceedings have highlighted the organization’s leadership, culture and funding, with state attorneys accusing LaPierre of embezzling millions of dollars from the organization to fund his lavish lifestyle, including private jet travel and other personal gifts.
The jury ordered LaPierre to repay nearly $4.4 million to the organization, while retired NRA finance chief Wilson “Woody” Phillips was ordered to repay $2 million.
The second phase of the case is a bench trial, meaning there is no jury and the judge will deliver the verdict. The decision is expected as early as Monday.
Earlier this month, Jeffrey Tenenbaum, a lawyer who testified for the state as an expert witness in nonprofit law, said the NRA had made some progress toward transparency but could backslide without the appointment of an independent monitor. He described the organization’s policy manual as “a garbage fire.”
James sued the NRA and its executives in 2020 under her authority to investigate nonprofits registered in the state. She originally sought to have the entire organization dissolved, but a judge ruled in 2022 that the allegations did not warrant a “corporate death penalty.”
“For years, Wayne LaPierre used charitable dollars to fund his lavish lifestyle, spending millions on luxury travel, expensive clothing, insider deals, and other perks for himself and his family,” James said in a statement. “LaPierre and senior NRA leaders blatantly abused their positions and broke the law.”