NRA Found Liable in Corruption Case as Jury Says Longtime Leader Wayne Lapierre Should Repay $4.3 Million

A jury in a lawsuit brought by the New York Attorney General’s Office against the National Rifle Association found Friday that the gun rights group mismanaged charitable funds when it failed to stop top executives — including longtime leader Wayne LaPierre — from diverting millions of dollars for lavish personal trips, no-show contracts and other questionable expenditures.

In its verdict, the jury found LaPierre should pay the powerful gun rights group $4.3 million in damages for mismanagement and misspending charitable funds. The panel also found the group’s former CFO Wilson Phillips should pay back $2 million for breaching his fiduciary duties as an executive.

Shortly after the verdict was read, New York Attorney General Letitia James called the jury’s decision against the powerful National Rifle Association and its top executives, a “major victory” in a post on X.

“In a major victory, my office won our case against the NRA and its senior leadership for years of corruption and greed,” James said. “Wayne LaPierre and a senior executive at the NRA must pay $6.35 million for abusing the system and breaking our laws.” (Read more from “NRA Found Liable in Corruption Case as Jury Says Longtime Leader Wayne Lapierre Should Repay $4.3 Million” HERE)