New York Attorney General Letitia James is suing the National Rifle Association for “widespread fraud,” and for the organization to be dissolved.
AG James calls the NRA a “breeding ground” for fraud, greed, and illegality – and points the finger squarely at CEO Wayne Lapierre as the center of the scheme, and she called for his removal. Still, she’s also naming as plaintiffs Secretary John Frazer, as well as former top officials Joshua Powell, and Woody Phillips.
According to AG James, that millions of dollars have been improperly used for things such as private travel, gifts, membership to golf clubs, and other expenses, without proper documentation and tax filings.
I can understand that if their investigation has led them to believe that management of the NRA was illegally spending donations that they should be arrested and tried. The injured party in this would be the members of the NRA who had their donations and dues illegally spent. But I can't understand how the victims of the crimes should be re-victimized by the government!
The members are the ones who first complained to law enforcement. The members are the ones who had their money allegedly spent on travel and other things not associated with what they were told it would be spent on. And now they may lose their organization?
When Planned Parenthood fired their President last year it was because as the NY Times reported Planned Parenthood supporters and staff weren't happy with Dr Wen who wanted to significantly reorient the group’s focus away from the abortion wars and more toward its role as a women’s health provider. Wanting to slow down on abortions is obviously not the same as allegedly skimming cash off the top, however does anyone honestly believe that AG James would have launched a suit to try and dissolve Planned Parenthood if that was the charge?
This is obviously a way for the NY AG to keep attacking President Trump. Last year she boasted that she had brought a lawsuit against the Donald J. Trump Foundation and its directors — Mr. Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Eric Trump. It resulted in Trump paying a total of $250,000 to 8 charities and the dissolvement of the Trump Foundation. Those charities were all hurt by by the closure of the Trump Foundation because as Kay Dervishi reported they had received many more millions previously and would have continued to had the foundation still existed. She also points out the NY AG had cases of far more egregious nature against numerous charities but had never gone for dissolvement.
The suit against the NRA appears to be an attack against President Trump, and by launching it a few months before the election designed to take out one of his largest supporters who would spend millions in swing states on ads reminding people of his strong support of the Second Amendment and Joe Biden's promise to appoint Beto O' Rourke as "gun czar" if he is elected. Beto famously declared "hell yes" when asked if he was proposing taking away American's AR 15's. CNN Editor Chris Cillizza wrote an op ed about that entitled; Is Beto O'Rourke single-handedly dooming a gun control bill?