The National Rifle Association, the main US gun lobby, and its former leader Wayne LaPierre are responsible for the corruption.

A Manhattan jury indicted the National Rifle Association (NRA) and its former boss Wayne LaPierre in a civil corruption case this Friday.

A lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James in 2020 accused LaPierre and other leaders of the organization, among other crimes, of misusing financial resources or including false information in state filings.

Testimony at the six-week trial detailed the organization’s use of NRA resources, such as privately chartered flights and expensive gifts.

A New York jury found Van LaPierre, the NRA’s executive director for three decades, embezzled millions of dollars and ordered him to pay $4,351,231 in restitution to the group.

The ruling is a victory for New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat who campaigned to investigate the NRA’s nonprofit status. It is the latest blow to the powerful group, which has been beset by financial problems and declining membership in recent years. LaPierre, its longtime face, announced his resignation on the eve of the trial.

NRA general counsel John Fraser and retired finance chief Wilson Phillips were also indicted in the case. Phillips was ordered to pay $2 million in damages to the NRA. Meanwhile, Fraser was found to have breached his duties, but was not ordered to pay any money.

The fines paid by LaPierre and Phillips will go back to the NRA, which the case cited as a defendant that lacked internal controls to prevent improper spending and was the victim of the same misconduct.

James also wants the three men barred from leadership positions in any charitable organization doing business in New York. A judge will decide that question during the next phase of the hearing in the state Supreme Court.

Another former NRA executive turned whistleblower, Joshua Powell, reached a settlement with the state last month, agreeing to testify at trial, pay the NRA $100,000 and give up further involvement in nonprofit organizations.

James sued the NRA and its executives in 2020 under its authority to investigate state-registered nonprofits.

He originally sought to dissolve the entire organization, but Manhattan Judge Joel M. Cohen ruled in 2022 that the charges did not warrant a “corporate death penalty”.

The trial, which began last month, shed light on the leadership, organizational culture and finances of the powerful lobbying group, which was founded 150 years ago to promote rifle proficiency in New York City and has become a political giant who has influenced the group. . Federal Govt. Law and Presidential Elections.

Before resigning, LaPierre ran the day-to-day operations of the NRA since 1991, serving as its face and becoming one of the nation’s most influential figures in shaping gun policy.

During the trial, state prosecutors argued that he avoided financial disclosure requirements by treating the NRA as his personal piggy bank, dipping generously into its coffers for African safaris and other questionable expenses.

His lawyer called the trial a political witch hunt by James.

LaPierre billed the NRA more than $11 million for private jet flights and spent more than $500,000 on eight trips to the Bahamas over a three-year period, state prosecutors said.

He authorized $135 million in NRA contracts for a supplier whose owners gave him free trips to the Bahamas, Greece, Dubai and India, as well as access to a 108-foot (33-meter) yacht.

LaPierre claimed he did not realize that travel tickets, hotel stays, meals, yacht access and other luxury benefits were considered gifts and that private jet flights were required for his safety.

But he admitted he falsely billed private flights for his family and accepted vacations without disclosing vendors who did business with the NRA.

Among those testifying at the trial was Oliver North, former NRA chairman and former National Security Council military aide, known for his central role in the 1980s Iran-Contra scandal. North, who resigned from the NRA in 2019. He was ousted after allegations of financial irregularities were raised.

After reporting a $36 million deficit in 2018, driven largely by inappropriate spending, the NRA cut long-standing programs that were central to its mission, including training and education, recreational shooting and safety initiative law enforcement. In 2021, he filed for bankruptcy and sought to incorporate in Texas instead of New York, but a judge rejected the move, saying it was an attempt to avoid James’ lawsuit.

Despite its recent troubles, the NRA remains a political force. Republican presidential hopefuls flocked to their annual convention last year, and former President Donald Trump spoke at an NRA event earlier this month, his eighth address to the association, he said.