A New York judge has ruled that there will be no court-appointed overseer to monitor National Rifle Association, denying New York Attorney General Letitia James' request for further oversight of the organization. Judge Joel Cohen also ruled that former NRA EVP & CEO Wayne LaPierre will be barred from working for the NRA in an official capacity for 10 years instead of the lifetime ban requested by James.
“The NRA is moving forward, full speed ahead,” NRA EVP & CEO Doug Hamlin said. “We have a mission to fulfill and elections to win up and down the ballot. This is a major step toward rebuilding the trust of the members, donors, industry and our staff.”
The bench trial that ended on July 29 marks the end of years of litigation and is also the culmination of the trial's second phase. The first phase of the trial ended in February of this year when a jury ruled that the NRA was victimized by certain former vendors and “insiders” who abused the trust placed in them by the Association. The jury also found LaPierre violated his statutory obligation to discharge the duties of his position in good faith and with care. Former CFO Wilson "Woody" Phillips was also found guilty of violating his duties. LaPierre and Phillips were ordered to pay back $5.4 million and $2 million, respectively, to the NRA.
"As the NRA committed to the court, we will continue to pursue improvements to our commitment to good governance,” NRA President Bob Barr said. “We thank the board for its support and salute our loyal members. Freedom prevails again."
This trial's conclusion also makes it possible for the NRA to move forward with its course correction, which involves new compliance procedures overseen by Chief Compliance Officer Bob Mensinger. Newly elected EVP & CEO Doug Hamlin has reaffirmed his commitment to grow the organization and restore the trust of NRA members.
"As we move forward, my primary objective is to restore the trust of our members, our industry, our donors and our staff," Hamlin said in an introductory email to NRA employees. "Once our members see we are making progress with the changes resulting from the efforts of our Board of Directors, they will come back in significant numbers."
This article has been updated with statements from NRA EVP & CEO Doug Hamlin and NRA President Bob Barr.
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