Letitia James calls for further action against the NRA

New York Attorney General Letitia James called for further action against the gun rights organization National Rifle Association (NRA) on Monday in the second phase of the civil trial.

James is seeking the court’s appointment of an independent auditor to oversee the organization’s finances and wants former NRA Executive Director Wayne LaPierre to be barred from returning to the organization, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

James and LaPierre returned to a Manhattan courtroom on Monday as prosecutors began the latest phase of the trial, during which the Democratic attorney general also called for further restrictions to be imposed on John Frazer, the NRA’s current corporate secretary and former general counsel.

Newsweek reached out to James’ office and the NRA via email on Monday seeking comment.

In February, a New York jury found the NRA and LaPierre guilty of corruption in a civil case in the first phase of the trial. The jury found that LaPierre embezzled millions of dollars in NRA funds, which he allegedly spent on expensive vacations and trips on yachts and private planes. The jury also found that the NRA improperly managed its assets, made false statements on tax returns and violated whistleblower protections.

At the time of the verdict, James called the decision a “huge victory” in a message she posted on X (formerly Twitter).

“In New York, you can’t get away with corruption and greed, no matter how powerful or influential you think you are. Everyone, even the NRA and Wayne LaPierre, have to play by the same rules,” she wrote in a separate X-post at the time.

Meanwhile, the NRA said in its February ruling that it had become “spoilers of certain former suppliers and ‘insiders’ who had abused the trust placed in them by the association.”

LaPierre, who announced his resignation from the NRA just days before the trial began in January, must repay the NRA nearly $4.4 million. (LaPierre was found liable for $5.4 million but has already repaid the group more than $1 million.) Another former executive, retired chief financial officer Wilson Phillips, owes the group $2 million.

The jury found that Frazer had breached his duties, but he was not ordered to repay any money.

The case came after James sued the gun rights group in 2020, accusing LaPierre and other executives of violating state law for financial gain. She originally wanted to dissolve the NRA, but a Manhattan judge ruled against that move in 2022.

On Monday, NRA lawyers argued against independent oversight, saying the organization has made efforts to maintain internal control, including through annual audits, hiring a compliance officer and disclosing executives’ travel expenses to members, AP reported.

Jeffrey Tenenbaum, a governance expert who testified for the state, said the NRA’s efforts were insufficient and called the organization’s policy manual a “dumpster fire.”

“I have no confidence that the past will not be prologue,” Tenenbaum said in court. The New York Times.

He added that the NRA’s 76-member board is “far too large.” “I have never seen such large boards adequately fulfill their duties.”

Monday’s trial comes after James celebrated a legal victory last week in a recent settlement with Phillips that will bar him from serving as a trustee of any New York nonprofit for the next 10 years and require him to complete training before he can serve in such a role again.

While the first phase of the NRA case was decided by a jury, the second phase will be decided by presiding judge Joel M. Cohen. The trial is expected to last about two weeks.