New York Attorney General Letitia James has opened an investigation into the National Rifle Association, according to CNN.
By: Harry Cherry
A spokesperson for Mrs. James told CNN that it has issued subpoenas, as part of the investigation.
“As part of this investigation, the Attorney General has issued subpoenas,” a spokesperson for Mrs. James told CNN in a statement. “We will not have further comment at this time.”
Everytown for Gun Safety, an organization which advocates for gun control and regulation, told CNN that it recently filed a complaint with the New York Attorney General against the NRA in regarding to its tax-exempt status.
An official with Everytime for Gun Safety told CNN that a report issued by The Trace and the New Yorker prompted its complaint.
The report alleged that a handful of NRA contractors, executives and vendors “have extracted hundreds of millions of dollars” from the organization’s budget.
“In light of the recent, credible allegations of excessive invoicing and personal enrichment by insiders, it’s encouraging that the New York Attorney General is looking into the NRA, and we renew our call for other state and federal authorities to do the same,” John Feinblatt, the President of Everytown for Gun Safety, told CNN in a statement.
The Wall Street Journal reported within the last few days that the National Rifle Association was dealing with internal turmoil — as its president, Colonel Oliver North, accused the groups longtime Chief Executive, Wayne LaPierre, of financial misdeeds.
Mrs. James’s investigation deals with “related-party transactions between the NRA and its board members; unauthorized political activity; and potentially false or misleading disclosures in regulatory filings,” a source familiar with the matter told the Journal, according to CNN.
“The NRA will fully cooperate with any inquiry into its finances,” William A. Brewer III, an attorney for the NRA and partner at Brewer Attorneys and Counsel told CNN in a statement. “The NRA is prepared for this, and has full confidence in its accounting practices and commitment to good governance.”
In a letter released on Thursday, which was sent to the group’s board of directors, Mr. LaPierre hit back — accusing Mr. North of forcing him to resign and trying to extort him.
Mr. North informed the National Rifle Association’s members on Saturday that he will not serve another term as the organization’s president, and would be resigning in the coming days.
Mr. North accused Mr. LaPierre previously of “charging over $200,000 in wardrobe purchased to a NRA vendor,” according to CNN, which cited a Wall Street Journal report.
The NRA did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication.
