A New York judge on Monday barred former NRA chief Wayne LaPierre from holding any position with the NRA or affiliated organizations for 10 years after he was held responsible for financial mismanagement at the nation’s most notorious gun lobby.
The judge gave the NRA itself and the New York attorney general’s office a week to discuss potential reforms.
“The NRA and its leaders broke the law and embezzled millions of dollars in cash and lavish benefits for themselves, their families, and NRA members,” said Attorney General Letitia James. “The damages portion of the case we presented, along with the previous jury trial, demonstrated that the NRA had a flagrant lack of accountability and that its leaders engaged in illegal activities and self-dealing. As a result of this case, Wayne LaPierre will be banned from the NRA for 10 years for spearheading this fraud, and the court has ordered additional reforms to the NRA. After years of corruption, the NRA and its leaders are finally being held accountable.”
Former National Rifle Association (NRA) CEO and Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre prepares to speak at the George R. Brown Convention Center during the National Rifle Association (NRA) Annual Convention on May 27, 2022 in Houston, Texas.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images, ARCHIVES
After five days of deliberations in February, a New York jury found the National Rifle Association liable for financial mismanagement and found that LaPierre, the group’s former CEO, corruptly ran the nation’s largest gun rights group.
LaPierre and a top NRA executive were ordered to pay a total of $6.35 million “for abusing the system and breaking our laws,” New York Attorney General Letitia James, whose office filed the lawsuit against the organization, said after the verdict.
The jury found that LaPierre’s breach of duty cost the NRA $5.4 million, even though he had already repaid the organization more than $1 million. He must pay $4.35 million, the New York attorney general’s office said at the time.
In 2020, the New York attorney general’s office filed a lawsuit against the NRA and its executives, claiming they diverted millions of dollars to fund personal perks, including private jets, family vacations and luxury goods. The charges came after a three-year investigation into the NRA, which is registered in New York as a nonprofit charity.
-ABC News’ Meredith Deliso and Peter Charalambous contributed to this report.
