(ReclaimingAmerica.net) – In another example of what many conservatives believe is the overly aggressive legal actions against conservative figures by the same Democrat prosecuting former President Donald Trump, jury selection began for the trial of New York’s lawsuit seeking the removal of Wayne LaPierre, the longstanding executive of the National Rifle Association (NRA), on accusations of tax fraud.
New York Attorney General Letitia James initiated legal action against the NRA in 2020. In her lawsuit, she accuses LaPierre and other top officials of misappropriating millions from the NRA’s charitable funds for personal luxuries.
After an extensive 18-month probe, James condemned the NRA for what she describes as “a culture of self-dealing, mismanagement and negligent oversight,” which she claims caused a loss of $64 million over three years.
Although James initially sought to disband the NRA entirely, a state court in March 2022 deemed such a measure excessively drastic, opting instead for a “less intrusive relief.”
James specifically targeted LaPierre and other executives for what she sees as using the NRA as a “personal piggy bank.”
The lawsuit’s primary objective is to expel LaPierre from his influential position within the NRA, a role he has held for over three decades.
Both the NRA and LaPierre have consistently denied any misconduct.
In response to the lawsuit, LaPierre stated in 2020, “This is an unconstitutional, premeditated attack aiming to dismantle and destroy the NRA – the fiercest defender of America’s freedom at the ballot box for decades. The NRA is well governed, financially solvent, and committed to good governance. We’re ready for the fight. Bring it on.”
The lawsuit also prompted an IRS investigation into LaPierre in 2020 over potential tax fraud.
Despite the NRA’s repeated efforts to dismiss the politically motivated suit over the past three years for an infringement of its free speech rights, a New York appeals court recently affirmed a lower court’s decision for the case to proceed.
The upcoming trial is set to start on January 8.
It will see a jury deliberating on James’s claim that the alleged corrupt activities should lead to LaPierre and three other senior NRA executives, including General Counsel John Frazer, reimbursing funds and possibly facing removal.
The trial is anticipated to last approximately six weeks.
