LaPierre turned NRA into 'Wayne's World,' NY lawyer says at graft trial
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[January 09, 2024]
By Jonathan Stempel and Luc Cohen
NEW YORK (Reuters) -Wayne LaPierre ran the National Rifle Association
(NRA) as "Wayne's World" for decades, a lawyer for New York state said
at the start of the gun rights group's corruption trial, three days
after LaPierre suddenly resigned as chief executive.
New York Attorney General Letitia James had sued the NRA and its
longtime leader in August 2020, saying the group diverted millions of
dollars to fund luxuries for top officials, including travel expenses
for LaPierre to several resorts.
In her opening statement, state lawyer Monica Connell told the six
jurors and six alternates that NRA officials failed to obtain board
approval for conflicts of interest and insider transactions, arranged
no-show contracts for associates, and retaliated against whistleblowers
who suspected wrongdoing.
"The NRA allowed Wayne LaPierre and his group of insiders ... to operate
the NRA as 'Wayne's World' for decades," said Connell, alluding to the
1992 movie starring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey. "Wayne LaPierre and his
friends effectively suppressed the voice of anyone who challenged his
leadership."
James has said the NRA's and LaPierre's misconduct violated state laws
governing nonprofits, which she enforces.
The NRA, founded in 1871, has denied wrongdoing and said it has made
reforms.
It has also accused James, a Democrat, of targeting it for political
purposes, and violating the First Amendment for trying to silence its
speech.
Defense lawyers are expected to present their opening statements in the
Manhattan courtroom on Tuesday. LaPierre is expected to testify later.
In an emailed statement, the NRA's lawyer William Brewer said James'
office "cannot prove that the association or its board did anything
wrong. The NYAG outline of the case is about the past, not the present."
DIFFICULT TIME
The trial comes at a difficult time for the NRA, which has seen revenue
slide 44% since 2016 and membership drop by nearly one-third since 2018.
The NRA cited health reasons for LaPierre's resignation, and on Monday
said the 74-year-old has chronic Lyme disease.
Longtime communications chief Andrew Arulanandam was named interim chief
executive.
Since taking over in 1991, LaPierre built the NRA into a political
powerhouse that pressed Washington and statehouses to expand gun rights,
even as mass shootings mounted nationwide.
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Wayne LaPierre, former CEO of the National Rifle Association (NRA),
exits New York State Supreme Court Building in New York City, U.S.,
January 8, 2024. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
Its efforts have been bolstered since 2008 by three major U.S.
Supreme Court decisions that expanded gun rights.
LaPierre, secretary and general counsel John Frazer, and former
finance chief Wilson Phillips are the three remaining individual
defendants in James' case.
A fourth defendant, former NRA second-in-command Joshua Powell,
settled on Friday, agreeing to reimburse $100,000 and admitting he
improperly used NRA assets.
Powell was fired by the NRA in 2020. He later accused the group of
corruption and greed, and expressed support for some gun-control
measures.
Former NRA President Oliver North, who left the group in a 2019
leadership dispute, is also due to testify.
ASSIGNING BLAME
The trial before Justice Joel Cohen of the state supreme court is
expected to last six weeks.
Jurors will assess whether the individual defendants engaged in
financial misconduct and how much they should repay the NRA.
Payments could be reduced if jurors were to blame the NRA for
allowing any misconduct.
The jury will also recommend whether Frazer should be ousted, with
the judge to decide later on removal.
LaPierre's job security had also been in play before he resigned.
His resignation is effective on Jan. 31. The NRA said that after
that date he will neither work nor consult for the group, and that
he has no severance arrangements.
A state appeals court in late December let the case go to trial. It
said James' probe appeared to uncover "ample evidence of
malfeasance," while the NRA had resisted a leadership overhaul that
might have tackled some problems.
James had previously sought to close the NRA, but Cohen rejected
that effort in March 2022.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel and Luc Cohen in New YorkEditing by
Noeleen Walder, Rosalba O'Brien and Matthew Lewis)
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