(New York) Wayne LaPierre, head of the National Rifle Association (NRA), the arms lobby that is very influential in American politics and who resigned from his post on Friday, has been appearing in civil court in New York since Monday for “corruption” .
New York State Attorney General (equivalent to a local Minister of Justice) Letitia James launched a civil action in August 2020 and led a 15-month investigation that sparked an embarrassing revelation for Wayne LaPierre: he is suspected of lavish personal expenses paid by the NRA, and other misuses of corporate assets, including plane travel and stays on yachts.
“Mr. LaPierre and NRA executives misappropriated millions of dollars for personal gain, including [pour] private jets, expensive meals and even family vacations to the Bahamas,” denounced Ms.’s service before the trial.me James.
According to the American legal press, the future former vice president and general manager Wayne LaPierre was described Monday by the civil prosecution as “the king of the NRA”.
Mr. LaPierre and the NRA deny all accusations.
On Friday, three days before his trial, Mr. LaPierre, 74, announced his resignation as head of the NRA, effective January 31, after three decades as head of an organization of five million members, with a very strong influence on elected representatives of Congress and on American politics.
The 150-year-old association, supposedly non-profit, is registered in New York and declared bankruptcy in 2021. But this procedure failed.
Before the trial opened Monday, which is expected to last weeks, Attorney General James announced an out-of-court settlement of $100,000 with another NRA executive who was being prosecuted, the former chief of staff of M. LaPierre, Joshua Powell.
“Joshua Powell’s admission of wrongdoing and Wayne LaPierre’s resignation confirm our allegations for years that the NRA and its senior leaders are financially corrupt,” according to a statement released Friday.
It is under the leadership of Mr. LaPierre that the lobby has become extremely active among political leaders, whom it finances or rates unfavorably, managing to block in Congress legislative proposals considered to limit the right to own and carry a firearm.
For example, the NRA contributed tens of millions of dollars to the campaign of former Republican President Donald Trump in 2016.