New York Attorney General Letitia James Files Lawsuit Seeking To Dissolve NRA

New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) announced Thursday she is seeking to dissolve the National Rifle Association (NRA), accusing its leadership of corruption.

James filed the lawsuit alleging that that current and former NRA leadership “instituted a culture of self-dealing mismanagement” used group’s funds for personal use family and mismanaged the organization resulting in a $63 million in three 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 in a news release. She added her office would forward the complaint to the IRS.

The lawsuit also accuses Wayne LaPierre, the organization’s CEO, of using NRA funds for personal purposes.

NRA president Carolyn Meadows responded to a lawsuit in a statement and called it a “baseless, premeditated” attack on the NRA and on gun rights.

“You could have set your watch by it: the investigation was going to reach its crescendo as we move into the 2020 election cycle,” she said. “It’s a transparent attempt to score political points and attack the leading voice in opposition to the leftist agenda. This has been a power grab by a political opportunist – a desperate move that is part of a rank political vendetta. Our members won’t be intimidated or bullied in their defense of political and constitutional freedom.”

The NRA on Thursday also responded by filing a counter federal lawsuit against James in the Northern District of New York, citing restriction of freedom of speech and seeking to prove that NRA complied with state law.

President Donald Trump criticized the lawsuit against the NRA and called it a “terrible thing.”

“That’s a very terrible thing that just happened,” he told reporters. “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.”