Wayne LaPierre has led the controversial gun rights advocacy group the National Rifle Association since 1991. He’s held on to power through numerous challenges — including corruption scandals — but a looming New York corruption case could be what finally topples him.
Long time coming
Letitia James, attorney general in New York, has been investigating the NRA for four years. The case is going to trial on Jan 8, if things continue according to schedule.
Last-ditch attempt
Last week, an attempt by the NRA to shut down the case was denied. The judge wrote on Dec 28 that this latest motion was “belated and procedurally questionable.”
Dodgy dealings
The trial, which is expected to last around two months, will see a number of questionable revelations from James’s years of investigation examined. Many concern LaPierre and the various expenses he billed to the group, which include more than $250,000 on travel to places like Lake Como, a popular holiday destination in Italy.
Treat yourself
Over the course of more than a decade, LaPierre also used NRA finances to fund regular visits to a Beverly Hills boutique. In one single visit in 2004 he spent almost $40,000.
It pays to have friends
LaPierre kept his aide even after they were caught red-handed diverting tens of thousands of dollars to pay for various personal expenses.
Not alone
LaPierre is one of four defendants in the trial. The second is John Frazer, general counsel for the NRA.
Friends to enemies
The third defendant is Wilson Phillips, who was the group’s chief of finances before being pushed out years ago. The fourth is Joshua Powell, another formerly influential member of the group who later turned against it, arguing for stricter gun regulations.
Past troubles
In 2021, the NRA filed for bankruptcy in an attempt to escape the New York investigation. However, a judge dismissed the case, accusing the group of filing to avoid “regulatory enforcement” rather than to address a “financial” problem.
Decline and fall
Over the years that James has been investigating the NRA, the “lobbying juggernaut” has become something of a “ghost ship,” according to the New York Times. It closed its media outlet in 2019, and LaPierre has attempted to stay out of the public eye.
Line goes down
Five years ago, NRA membership was almost six million, but in 2024 it has fallen to about 4.2 million. Revenue has declined more than 40% since 2016, while legal bills have soared.
Cleaning up
The decline occurred as the controversial group attempted to clean up its act. Its head lawyer, William Brewer III, said in an interview that the NRA was far stricter today: “If you made a mistake,” he asserted, “you’re going to pay it back with interest, and if you do it again, you’re gone.”
Not everyone agrees
However, Brewer isn’t exactly popular within the group, with another lawyer wondering in an email whether Brewer was “a moron or a Manchurian candidate.” Oliver North, who was the group’s former president before being forced out by Brewer and LaPierre in 2020, called Brewer’s legal bills “shocking.”
Light touch
Attorney General James is seeking to finally oust LaPierre from his position. Any money recovered by the investigation would go back to the group.
Not looking good
A former insider turned critic of the NRA, Willes Lee, described the organization’s strategy as “Keep old folks who were in charge during the heinous NYAG allegations & admitted abuse. Eliminate leaders who weren’t here during the gross abuse & outrageous allegations. To the judge, plead ‘We’ve changed’.”
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