Former head of the National Rifle Association Wayne LaPierre was handed a 10-year ban from being involved in his former organization on Monday. Pictured here, LaPierre is seen in January entering the courtroom at State Supreme Court in New York during litigation that found him liable for diverting millions of dollars from the organization. File Photo by Louis Lanzano/UPI |
License PhotoJuly 30 (UPI) — A New York state judge has banned Wayne LaPierre, the former longtime chief of the National Rifle Association, from serving in the gun rights advocacy group for 10 years after a jury found him and other members of NRA leadership liable of diverting millions of dollars from the organization.
The Monday decision, however, was not a complete victory for New York Attorney General Letitia James who was seeking an outside monitor to be appointed to the NRA or to have the organization dissolved, which had been the penalty the Democratic prosecutor had originally sought.
Instead, New York Supreme Court Judge Joel Cohen directed James and the NRA to confer on potential reforms the organization could undertake.
According to James’ office, priorities for potential NRA reforms outlined by Cohen include retaining a compliance consultant to work with NRA staff to ensure changes are implemented, changing the internal audit committee, reducing the size of its board and easing access for candidates to stand for board positions.
“After years of corruption, the NRA and its senior leaders are finally being held accountable,” James said in a statement.
James filed the lawsuit against the NRA and its senior officers in August of 2020 seeking to dissolve the 150-year-old registered charity over the diversion of millions of dollars by its senior leadership through awarding contracts to close associations and family.
In February — a month after LePierre resigned from his NRA post, which he held from 1991 — a jury found him and other NRA executives to have abused their positions by using the organization’s funds for personal use, such as to fund lavish trips.
LaPierre, 74, was found to have caused the NRA $5.4 million in damages and must pay $4.35 million.
Wilson “Woody” Phillips, NRA treasurer and former chief financial officer, was also banned Monday from serving in the nonprofit for 10 years and is required to pay $2 million in damages.
“The NRA and its senior leaders broke the law and funneled millions of dollars in cash and lavish perks to themselves, their families and NRA insiders,” James said.
“The damages portion of the case we presented, as well as the earlier trial before the jury, demonstrated that the NRA had a stunning lack of accountability and its leaders engaged in illegality and self-dealing.”
The NRA said the decision means it will pay no fines while collecting awards from LePierre and Phillips. It will also be allowed to continue to “pursue its mission.”
“We recognize the importance of the jury’s findings and will continue our commitment to good governance,” NRA President Bob Barr said in a statement.
