New York state Attorney General Letitia James has announced a lawsuit to dissolve the National Rifle Association (NRA) over alleged financial mismanagement that's run rampant in the organization for years.
The state of New York has the power to dissolve the group because it operates as a New York-registered 501(c)(4) not-for-profit, charitable corporation.
State law requires that the group's assets are used in a way that serves the interests of NRA membership and advance the organization's charitable mission.
However, according to the lawsuit, the NRA has been doing the exact opposite.
In the announcement, James said the gun-rights group is "fraught with fraud and abuse" and that its financial mismanagement has resulted in a loss of more than $64 million over a three-year period.
The lawsuit alleges that charitable donations given to the organization were misused by NRA executives for personal gain and that it awarded valuable contracts to family members, friends, and former employees.
Seeking to dissolve a not-for-profit charity is the most aggressive action the state of New York can take against the organization.
"The NRA's influence has been so powerful that the organization went unchecked for decades while top executives funneled millions into their own pockets," James said in a statement. "The NRA is fraught with fraud and abuse, which is why, today, we seek to dissolve the NRA, because no organization is above the law."
James says that the organization "instituted a culture of self-dealing, mismanagement and negligent oversight" that contributed to "the waste and loss of millions in assets."
The lawsuit calls out four executives that it claims used the organization "like a piggy bank" and takes dead aim at Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre.
The suit alleges that LaPierre has received more than $1.2 million in expense reimbursements over the past four years, including travel expenses, gifts for friends, and memberships at exclusive golf clubs.
The lawsuit alleges that his post-employment contract with the organization is worth $17 million.
Legal experts say that the lawsuit could lead to the demise of the non-profit group.
"The NY Attorney General has already brought down the Trump Foundation, and now it is targeting the NRA," Adam Winkler, a law professor and Second Amendment expert at UCLA, said according to The Hill. "If the allegations are true, Wayne LaPierre has been using the NRA as his personal piggy bank."
The NRA lashed out against the lawsuit on Twitter in its typical aggressive fashion.
The NRA was already dealing with financial problems due to a multiple lawsuits. In a secret recording obtained by NPR, LaPierre told an audience that the NRA's legal troubles have cost the organization $100 million.
"The cost that we bore was probably about a hundred-million-dollar hit in lost revenue and real cost to this association in 2018 and 2019," LaPierre said, according to a recording by a source in the room. "I mean, that's huge."
The organization has also seen a steep drop in contributions from its members since Donald Trump was elected president. Its membership dues have dropped 21% since 2016, from $163 million to $128 million.
The NRA's financial and legal troubles will definitely have an impact on the 2020 election. The organization gave Donald Trump over $30 million in 2016 and it doesn't appear to have that type of cash to donate to Trump and down-ballot Republicans this year.
The NRA is also facing greater competition after the recent rise in mass shootings.
In the 2018 midterm elections, gun-control groups outspent the NRA for the first election cycle in history.
Studies show that sensible gun control measures are supported by a majority of Americans, so this could be a turning point where the NRA's grip over the political process loosens enough for government to finally implement new gun-safety laws.
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A family makes heart shapes with their hands at sunset
Ketel Marte was brought to tears during an MLB game after facing a shameful fan taunt.
Baseball manager's poignant support for a player brought to tears after shameful fan taunt
Whether they’re expecting perfection from their favorite players or, worse, behaving callously toward opposing teams, sports fans often forget that athletes are human beings. But athletic competition has the ability to unify and uplift, even amid such painful and unpleasant encounters. Take, for example, a major-league baseball game held June 24, 2025 between the home team Chicago White Sox and visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.
A shameful low point occurred when Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte was at bat in the seventh inning. Per ESPN, a fan reportedly yelled out a comment regarding Marte’s late mother, Elpidia Valdez, who died in a 2017 car accident in the Dominican Republic. Team personnel, including manager Torey Lovullo, then requested the 22-year-old fan be ejected. (Though he was remorseful and admitted his actions were inappropriate, according to an ESPN source, he was nonetheless banned indefinitely from all MLB ballparks.) "We commend the White Sox for taking immediate action in removing the fan," the MLB said in a statement. Marte reportedly declined to comment.
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While the fan’s behavior is inexcusable, it did spark a powerful and inspiring moment. After hearing the comment, Marte was visibly upset, prompting Lovullo to walk on the field, put his arm around him, and offer some words of encouragement. "[I said,] 'I love you, and I’m with you, and we’re all together, and you’re not alone,'" Lovullo said in a post-game interview, as documented by The Rich Eisen Show. "'No matter what happens, no matter what was said or what you’re heard, that guy is an idiot.’"
According to Arizona Republic, Lovullo heard the fan’s comment but didn’t want to repeat it. “I looked right at [Marte] when I heard,” he said. “I looked right at him, and he looked at the person, as well. He put his head down and I could tell it had an immediate impact on him, for sure."
Elsewhere in the post-game interview, the manager called the moment "terrible" and reflected on why he stood up for Marte. "Fans are nasty, and fans go too far sometimes," he said. "I love my players, and I’m gonna protect them…I’ve known Ketel for nine years. He’s had some unbelievably great moments and some hardships as well and some really tough moments in his life. I know those. At the end of the day, we’re human beings, and we have emotions. I saw him hurting, and I wanted to protect him."
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The following day, the Chicago White Sox X account sent out a message in support of Marte, writing, "We’re with you" and "Baseball is family." On The Rich Eisen Show, the show's host addressed the need to eradicate this kind of toxic athlete-fan interaction: "I was hearing [people saying], 'There’s no place for this in major league baseball.' There isn’t. There’s no place for this in our society. I understand that people are saying the MLB has got to do something about this. Fans have a right to heckle players—this is something that has happened forever…But there is a line."
In another recent, depressing sports moment with a beautiful coda, let’s look to Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the eventual champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. During the first quarter, Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton tore his right Achilles tendon—a devastating injury that could potentially sideline him for most of the 2025-2026 season. Following the game, in a lovely display of sportsmanship, Thunder point-guard and league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went to the Pacers locker room to check on his competitor. In a press conference, he said, "You just hate to see it, in sports in general. But in this moment, my heart dropped for him. I can't imagine playing the biggest game of my life and something like that happening. It’s so unfortunate."
- YouTubewww.youtube.com