Former National Rifle Association official Joshua Powell admitted wrongdoing in a settlement with New York Attorney General Letitia James' office announced just days before a Monday trial seeking to dissolve the gun advocacy nonprofit.
Powell, who previously served as the NRA's director of operations and chief of staff to recently resigned NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre, has written about “astonishing” waste and corruption in a 2020 book that has left the already powerful gun rights group in the lurch. His back was turned. Inside the NRA,” James said before the $100,000 settlement with his office was announced Friday.
He testified at trial and agreed to pay $100,000 to the NRA and refrain from further involvement in non-profit activities.
James, along with Powell, sued LaPierre, NRA General Counsel John Frazier, and former NRA Treasurer Wilson Phillips in 2020, accusing them of offering high-value consulting contracts to former employees and He claimed he had cost the organization tens of millions of dollars through questionable expenditures, including gifts to others. Both friends and vendors. Mr Fraser and Mr Phillips deny any wrongdoing.
New York state lawsuit against NRA leaders goes to trial after court again rejects allegations of political investigation into gun group
New York State Attorney General Letitia James speaks at a press conference announcing the NRA dissolution lawsuit in New York City on August 6, 2020. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Powell's settlement announcement came Friday, the same day LaPierre announced he was resigning from the NRA. The incident comes just days before the start of a civil trial over allegations that Mr. LaPierre entertained millions of dollars in private jets, yacht trips, African safaris and other luxury perks at the expense of powerful gun rights groups. Ta.
As part of the agreement, Powell admitted to neglecting his fiduciary responsibilities and misusing charity funds, James' office said.
“Joshua Powell's admission of wrongdoing and Wayne LaPierre's resignation confirm what we have been saying for years: that the NRA and its leaders are financially corrupt,” James said in a statement. ” he said. “More than three years ago, my office sued the NRA and its senior management for financial abuse and mismanagement. I hope that he will be brought to justice.”
The NRA has long argued that the incident was politically motivated, saying James violated the group's First Amendment rights and made the nonprofit a non-profit organization because he disagreed with the group's gun advocacy. They have argued that they engaged in selective enforcement of restrictive state laws.
Both during his campaign for attorney general and after his election, James publicly denounced the NRA as a “dangerous propaganda machine masquerading as charity in the public interest,” a “terrorist organization,” and “nothing more than criminals.” It is worth noting that companies. In one interview in September 2018, she said she was “looking forward to a showdown with all the banks and their investors that are providing funding,” the NRA noted on Fox News Digital last week.
LaPierre said his resignation from the NRA is effective January 31st. The trial is scheduled to begin on Monday. Mr. LaPierre was in court last week for jury selection, and he is expected to testify at trial. The NRA has said it will continue to pursue litigation, which could lead to further leadership changes and the appointment of an independent monitor to oversee its finances.
Former National Rifle Association official Joshua Powell admitted wrongdoing in a settlement with New York State Attorney General Letitia James' office. (Washington Post/Getty Images)
Wayne LaPierre announces resignation as NRA Director
“With pride in all we have accomplished, I announce my resignation from the NRA,” LaPierre said in a statement released by the organization, which announced he was stepping down for health reasons. . “I have been an active member of this organization for most of my adult life. I will never stop supporting the NRA and the fight to protect Second Amendment freedoms. My passion for the cause burns deeper than ever.”
James, a Democrat, confirmed the trial would proceed as scheduled. Mr. LaPierre's resignation “validates our claims against Mr. LaPierre, but it does not absolve him or the NRA of responsibility,” Mr. James said in a statement.
Andrew Arulanandam, an NRA executive who has served as Mr. LaPierre's spokesperson, will take on the role on an interim basis, the organization announced.
The NRA remains a powerful political force, and last year's annual convention was packed with Republican presidential candidates. But in recent years, the organization has been plagued by financial difficulties, declining membership, infighting within its 76-member board, and persistent questions about LaPierre's leadership and spending, according to the Associated Press.
Wayne Lapierre (AP Photo/Daron Cummings/File)
After reporting a $36 million deficit in 2018, largely due to spending errors, the NRA is reshuffling long-standing programs that have been core to its mission for decades, including training and education, recreational shooting, and law enforcement efforts. reduced. The organization filed for bankruptcy in 2021, seeking to incorporate in Texas rather than New York, where it was founded as a nonprofit charity in 1871, but the judge ruled in an apparent attempt to evade James' case. As such, the move was rejected.
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Mr. LaPierre, 74, has led the NRA's day-to-day operations since 1991, becoming the face and fierce voice of the gun rights agenda and one of the most influential figures in shaping U.S. gun policy. Ta. He once warned that “government thugs in jackboots” would steal guns, welcomed movie star Charlton Heston as the organization's president, and called gun control advocates “to exploit tragedy for profit.” He accused them of being “opportunists'' and “taking advantage of others.''
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
