The National Rifle Association distanced itself on Tuesday from longtime CEO Wayne LaPierre and two other senior executives on trial for corruption and fraud in New York City.
NRA attorney Sarah Rogers told jurors that while some higher-ups at the nonprofit organization may have betrayed the NRA’s central mission, the organization itself should not be faulted.
“Why is the NRA — a victim of that betrayal — a defendant in this case?” Rogers asked during opening arguments, adding that the majority of the employees at the NRA have worked tirelessly to promote its causes.
LaPierre may have been the face of the NRA as well as a valuable visionary for the organization for the past 30 years, but he wasn’t without his faults, Rogers said, adding that the 74-year-old hid benefits and financial goods he received from NRA vendors.
Rogers told jurors that whether or not they agreed with what the NRA stood for, it was not a “scam” charity and added that the NRA has been highly effective in its gun rights advocacy, which is why “everyone in this room knows the NRA by name.”
The NRA, LaPierre, and three other senior executives were sued in 2020 by New York Attorney General Letitia James for corruption and fraud and broke laws related to how charities can operate in the state.
LaPierre has been accused of spending millions of dollars on himself as well as accepting lavish gifts. He ran up huge tabs jetting off to the Caribbean and Africa for safaris and spent a small fortune on designer duds.
LaPierre lawyer Philip Correll said his client didn’t realize the yacht trips he took in the Bahamas needed to be disclosed and instead viewed them as a “nice little invitation” to ride on a yacht, Bloomberg Law reported.
“Just because someone goes on a yacht doesn’t make it bad,” Correll said.
He added that LaPierre would go on other trips around the world, out to expensive restaurants, and spend heavily in an attempt to build relationships with high-profile people and celebrities he believed could extend the NRA’s reach.
For example, LaPierre spent more than $500,000 on charter flights to the Bahmas eight times in three years to attend an annual gathering by his friend, David McKenzie, an Emmy-winning Hollywood producer. McKenzie also lent LaPierre his yacht on multiple occasions and paid for LaPierre’s stay at a ritzy resort while McKenzie and his family, in return, received expensive gifts. McKenzie was the principal stakeholder in four large NRA vendors that were paid $100 million by the NRA in recent years.
On Monday, special counsel Monica Connell claimed LaPierre called the shots at the NRA and that he didn’t abide by the rules or regulations. Instead, he ran the nonprofit organization like it was a personal piggy bank. She added that if anyone questioned LaPierre or his spending habits, they would be shut down and dismissed.
The civil corruption trial, which began Monday, could stretch as long as six weeks.
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On Friday, LaPierre announced he would step down from the post he has held for more than three decades. He cited health concerns as the reason for his departure. On the same day he resigned, James’s office announced Joshua Powell, a former NRA chief of staff and executive director of general operations, reached a $100,000 settlement with her office, which included an admission of guilt.
“Joshua Powell’s admission of wrongdoing and Wayne LaPierre’s resignation confirm what we have alleged for years: the NRA and its senior leaders are financially corrupt,” James said.