Former head of US gun rights group fined $4 million — RT World News

A Manhattan court has ordered former National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre to repay more than $4 million to a gun rights group, finding him liable in a civil corruption lawsuit filed by New York state.

Friday's ruling followed a six-week trial, during which LaPierre and other NRA leaders were accused of misusing the organization's funds, ignoring whistleblower complaints, and filing false information on government tax returns.

Jurors found that the former CEO, who had led the NRA since the early 1990s and also served as executive vice president, failed to perform proper oversight and regularly misused the group's funds. According to the state's attorney, that includes $11 million for private jet trips and $500,000 for eight separate trips to the Bahamas over three years. He was ordered to pay $4.4 million to the NRA to make up for the lavish spending, while former chief financial officer Wilson “Woody” Phillips was fined $2 million.

LaPierre resigned last month after more than 30 years running the NRA, shortly before the start of his civil corruption trial. New York Attorney General Letitia James initially brought the case in 2020, and praised the ruling as a… “A big victory.”

“In New York, you cannot escape corruption and greed, no matter how powerful or influential you think you are.” she wrote in a social media post. “Everyone, even the NRA and Wayne LaPierre, has to play by the same rules.”

James' office added that it would seek to appoint an independent monitor to review the NRA's finances in the future, and bar LaPierre from holding a leadership position at any charitable organization in New York.

The Natural Resources Authority confirmed in its own statement that it was “They fell victim to some former sellers and ‘insiders’ who abused the trust placed in them.” He went on to acknowledge that LaPierre and other previous leaders had done so “They violated their legal obligations to perform the duties of their office in good faith and with care.”

In addition to requiring payments to the NRA, the jury also found that the group violated state whistleblower protections, failed to properly manage its assets, and falsified New York tax documents by misrepresenting financial information. While jurors concluded that NRA General Counsel John Frazier had also violated his duties, they chose not to fine him and found no reason to fire him.

Founded in 1871, the National Rifle Association is an influential lobbying group that campaigns to defend the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. It has more than 5 million members, according to the group's website.