New York Attorney General Letitia James said Mr. LaPierre and three other senior lobby officials had used members’ contributions and donations for years as “their own piggy bank.” They have spent tens of millions of dollars violating laws governing nonprofits.
Read also the opinion of our columnist (2019): A powerful, not-so-powerful gun lobby
The four leaders “basically looted property” of the group, Ms. James said. So much so that this lobby which has injected millions of dollars into Republican election campaigns over the years is now almost insolvent.
According to the prosecutor, Mr. LaPierre among other things illegally used funds from the NRA to regularly take his family to the Bahamas for a luxury vacation. He also accepted expensive gifts and travel from NRA suppliers and gave himself $ 17 million for his retirement without the agreement of the organization’s board of directors.
Strong influence
“The influence of the NRA is such that the organization has evaded scrutiny for decades, as its top leaders put millions of dollars in their pockets,” the prosecutor said.
“The NRA is full of fraud and abuse and that is why we are now seeking to dissolve it, because no organization is above the law,” she added.
–
–
