Judge Bans Former NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre from Clubs for 10 Years

NEW YORK –

A New York judge on Monday banned Wayne LaPierre, the former head of the National Rifle Association (NRA), from holding a paid position with the organization for 10 years, but LaPierre refused to appoint an independent monitor to oversee the gun rights organization’s finances.

Judge Joel Cohen’s split decision came on the final day of trial in the second phase of the NRA’s civil lawsuit led by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Cohen, ruling ex officio, found that the state’s request to appoint a monitor was not an appropriate solution, suggesting that an external oversight mechanism would be “time-consuming, burdensome, and impose significant costs on the NRA without corresponding benefits.”

Cohen also said he feared “speech-chilling government interference in the organization’s affairs.”

He added that the same First Amendment concerns do not apply to the question of whether LaPierre will soon be able to serve with the organization.

“This relief is for the privilege, not the right, to serve as a director or officer of a New York nonprofit organization,” he said.

Earlier Monday, LaPierre told a judge that appointing a monitor to oversee the gun rights group’s finances would be “equivalent to sticking a knife right into the heart of the organization and twisting it.”

He described the appointment of an observer as an existential threat to the group because it would send a signal to potential members and donors that the NRA “is being watched by this attorney general in New York.”

If a monitor is appointed, he said, “James will have achieved his goal of fulfilling his campaign promise, which effectively meant disbanding the NRA due to lack of money and lack of members.”

After an initial trial earlier this year, a jury found LaPierre and another deputy liable for misusing millions of dollars in personal expenses. James sought an independent monitor to oversee the group’s finances and whistleblower compliance. She also sought to bar LaPierre, a spokesman for the organization for decades, from returning to the NRA.

It is unclear what impact, if any, LaPierre’s 10-year ban from serving on the NRA might have.

In her closing argument, NRA attorney Sarah Rogers said the group had no plans to rehire LaPierre, though she described him as “a visionary who was highly respected and well-respected.”

She added that the group had implemented robust internal controls that made the appointment of a monitor unnecessary.

LaPierre served as the group’s CEO and executive vice president for more than three decades before resigning in January, on the eve of the first phase of the trial.

The proceedings have shed light on the organization’s leadership, culture and financing. Defense lawyers have accused LaPierre of siphoning millions of dollars from the organization to fund his lavish lifestyle, including private jet travel and other personal gifts.

A jury ordered LaPierre to repay nearly $4.4 million to the organization, while retired NRA Chief Financial Officer Wilson “Woody” Phillips was ordered to repay $2 million.

The second phase of the proceedings was a bench trial, meaning there was no jury and a judge rendered a verdict.

Earlier this month, Jeffrey Tenenbaum, a lawyer testifying on behalf of the state as an expert on nonprofit law, said the NRA has made some progress toward transparency but could regress without appointing an independent monitor. He described the organization’s policy manual as “trash.”

State prosecutors noted that LaPierre has not been reprimanded by the organization. Although the NRA announced a leadership change, several LaPierre loyalists remain in its upper echelons. The NRA has lost more than 1.3 million members since 2018, according to an expert witness appointed by the group.

James sued the NRA and its directors in 2020 under her authority to investigate nonprofits registered in the state. She initially sought to disband the entire organization, but a judge ruled in 2022 that the allegations did not justify a “corporate death penalty.”

Offenhartz writes for the Associated Press.