The powerful gun lobby in the U.S., represented by the National Weapons Association (NRA) suffered a major legal defeat in the fight against the forced closure of this organization, Western media reported.
A court in the state of Texas rejected the NRA’s request for legal protection of their creditors. The argument that was used is that by initiating bankruptcy proceedings, the organization is trying to avoid a lawsuit in New York for its forced closure. The decision was seen as a major disappointment for the NRA.
The lawsuit for the dissolution of the NRA was filed in August 2020 by New York State Attorney General Letitia James, who accused the organization of systematic fraud and abuse. In the lawsuit, James also accused the NRA leadership of wasting the organization’s money on expensive travel and nepotism in the distribution of contracts.
“The NRA cannot decide where it will be responsible for its actions and whether it will be responsible for them at all, and our case will be heard in the New York court. No one is above the law. ” the AG wrote on Twitter.
In January, the NRA declared bankruptcy as part of its “restructuring” and relocated its headquarters in Texas. The organization elaborated its decision as a desire to leave the contentious political climate in New York.
The NRA enjoys a status of a non-profit organization, and therefore it has to follow special rules when spending donations, charity and accounting. The ultra-conservative organization also has a big political influence among Republican supporters, led by former US President Donald Trump.
The former President, commenting on the matter described the allegations against the NRA as “terrible” and advised the association to move its registration to the state of Texas.
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