The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed a lawsuit brought by the National Rifle Association (NRA) alleging that a former New York state official violated the free speech rights of the state.
The unanimous opinion overturns a lower court decision that dismissed a lawsuit filed by gun rights groups against Maria Vullo, the former head of the New York State Department of Financial Services.
The NRA said Vullo pressured banks and insurance companies to blacklist the company after the 2018 Parkland, Florida, school shooting that left 17 people dead.
The group is represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Biden administration has said some of the group’s claims should go forward.
Vullo maintained that he did legitimate research into the insurance policies promoted by the NRA, also known as “murder insurance,” and that he spoke out about the risks of doing business with gun groups but said he did not improperly pressure companies that voluntarily distanced themselves from the NRA at the time.
