Wayne LaPierre Banned from Paid Positions Inside the NRA for Ten Years

On Monday, a New York judge banned National Rifle Association (NRA) former Executive Vice President and CEO Wayne LaPierre from working with the organization for the next decade while declining to appoint an independent monitor to oversee the gun rights group.

Last February, during the NRA civil trial’s first phase, a jury found that LaPierre and others within side the organization funneled millions of dollars from the NRA coffers to fund their lavish lifestyles. The case highlighted money being spent on private planes, extravagant vacations, and super yachts. The court found that LaPierre was liable for $5.4 million, of which $4.3 million must be paid back to the NRA since he already gave back $1 million to the organization. In addition to LaPierre, former finance chief of the NRA, Wilson Phillips was ordered to pay back $2 million to the organization for his unchecked spending.

Mr. LaPierre led the organization for three decades before stepping down right before the trial began. New York anti-gun Attorney General Letitia James brought the case challenging the NRA’s New York not-for-profit status. Ms. James’s goal was to destroy the organization. She failed at that task, although the case did damage the organization’s status.

Ms James wanted Judge Joel Cohen to appoint someone to oversee the organization, but Judge Cohen was apprehensive about assigning an overseer to the NRA. He was worried that appointing an overseer would be constitutionally dubious and could lead to a First Amendment challenge. He called the request for an overseer a “speech-chilling government intrusion on the affairs of the organization.”

The judge also thought that someone assigned as an overseer would be “time-consuming, disruptive and will impose significant costs on the NRA without corresponding benefits.” The AG’s office wanted the NRA to foot the bill for an overseer, but the judge didn’t feel that would help the organization and would just hurt it. Many believe it has always been James’s goal to break the NRA.

Although the judge was worried about First Amendment arguments regarding appointing an overseer, he had no such reservations about banning LaPierre from any paid position within the organization for ten years. According to the judge, the Consitution doesn’t guarantee anyone the right to serve in a not-for-profit New York organization. He felt it was necessary to keep LaPierre away from the organization after the jury verdict.

“This relief is about the privilege, not the right, to serve as an officer or director of a New York not-for-profit,” he said.

The NRA said it would comply with Judge Cohen’s recommendations. NRA attorney Sarah Rogers noted that the organization enacted new controls after the February jury decision, including adding new board members and creating a new compliance team. The judge didn’t seem impressed with the new controls. The judge called the changes decidedly mixed.” He hit back at the organization’s leadership, stating they showed “a stunning lack of accountability.”

New NRA President Bob Barr thanked the NRA membership for their support during the trial. He stated that the NRA is committed to good governance. Many current and former NRA members hope that the organization can reform and make fundamental changes to how it does business.

“We recognize the importance of the jury’s findings and will continue our commitment to good governance,” said Barr. He “praised the Association’s millions of loyal members who never lost faith in the organization and its commitment to protecting freedom.”

AmmoLand News contacted the New York Attorney General’s office for comment, but we received no response.

About John Crump

John is a NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. Mr. Crump has written about firearms, interviewed people of all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons and can be followed on Twitter at @crumpyss, or at www.crumpy.com.