The National Rifle Association (NRA) has announced over the weekend that it will file for bankruptcy and will leave its longtime home of New York for the state of Texas, as reported by the Washington Free Beacon.
The NRA, a pro-Second Amendment civil rights organization – one of the oldest of its kind – has been located in New York since its founding in 1871. The group allegedly plans to reorganize itself as a nonprofit based in Texas after filing for bankruptcy, according to the CEO and Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre.
“This strategic plan represents a pathway to opportunity, growth, and progress,” LaPierre said in a statement. “Obviously, an important part of this plan is ‘dumping New York,’” in favor of moving to a state that “values the contributions of the NRA, celebrates our law-abiding members, and will join us as a partner in upholding constitutional freedoms.”
The NRA has come under fire in recent years from top Democratic Party officials in the state of New York, including Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) and Attorney General Letitia James (D), the latter of whom has even falsely characterized the NRA as “a terrorist organization,” and has been abusing the powers of her office in an effort to have the organization dissolved.
In addition to the political prosecution, the NRA has faced growing accusations in recent years of corruption that includes misuse of funds, claims which led to the ousting of former President Oliver North and multiple board members’ resignations, the latter of which were out of protest of LaPierre’s alleged involvement in the wrongdoing. The move to Texas will not affect the lawsuits that have been filed against the NRA with regards to these alleged scandals, including the one filed by Attorney General James on behalf of the state of New York.