Judge Rules NRA Fraud Case Can Proceed: What Gun Owners Need to Know

AmmoLand ^ | April 3, 2025 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

On August 6, 2019, David Dell’Aquila and others filed a civil class action lawsuit against Wayne LaPierre, the NRA Foundation, and the Brewer law firm for fraud by soliciting donations for specific purposes and then spending them for other purposes, specifically benefiting LaPierre and others.

Over the next five years, the complaint was amended twice. In its latest form, the defendants are the NRA and Wayne LaPierre. The NRA Foundation’s advertising agency Ackerman McQueen is accused of fraud. The plaintiffs class are those who donated to the NRA from 2015 to the present. CEO LaPierre is accused of being at the center of the fraudulent scheme. A  number of alleged improper personal expenditures are specified in the amended complaint. For example:

• LaPierre repeatedly approved private flights for his wife and extended family when he was not a passenger. In total, these lavish private flights cost over one million dollars and were neither authorized by the NRA board nor were in any way related to advancing the NRA’s mission.
• LaPierre and his family repeatedly took extravagant yachting trips in the Bahamas and trips to Europe, financed by an NRA contractor, but LaPierre repeatedly failed to disclose these gifts. The details of these gifts were detailed in a recent expert report filed in the NYAG litigation—revealing that LaPierre paid approximately $100 million of the NRA’s money to the contractor, MMP Entities (an Ackerman affiliate), in exchange for lavish personal benefits. 
• The NRA reimbursed LaPierre more than $1.2 million dollars for personal expenses, including Christmas gifts, airfare and lodging for his extended family, membership in a golf club, and travel to and from film shoots. In addition, several million dollars each year were allocated to LaPierre’s personal security, which included extravagant purchases such as an armored vehicle.

[marktwain]

It appears discovery in the case will be allowed to go forward.

[larrytown]

Let the digging begin - a once-great organization needs to be rehabilitated from these parasites.

[Racketeer]

It appears the NRA wanted more gun control which enabled them to raise more money. If this is true, how is it not racketeering (RICO)?

[kawhill]

I was an NRA member for forty years, until I found out about Wayne’s shenanigans.

[marktwain]

I have been an NRA member for 50 years. I am still an endowment member.

I stopped donating to the NRA about 30 years ago.

Now that there is a reformed NRA board, Wayne LaPierre has been kicked out, and Ackerman Mcqueen has been disentangled from the NRA, I am considering donating again.

[Celtic Conservative]

There are far better choices than the NRA for 2A advocacy.

CC

[Socon-Econ]

Are we ever going to hear LaPierre’s side of the story on FR?

[JME_FAN]

I left the NRA long ago because they were soft on gun control. They are all hat and no cattle - especially under LaPierre. Better money spent by joining Gun Owners of America (GOA) and several other groups, whose operators do not play bait and switch as does the NRA. Let the discovery games begin.

[joshua c]

2nd Amendment Foundation has been doing the real work

in protecting 2A

[SGCOS]

Are we ever going to hear LaPierre’s side of the story on FR?

is it posted anywhere? I think we'll have to wait, unless the case is delayed till we're all dead and then it won't matter.

I would love to hear LaPierres' side of the story.

[No name given]

The sooner the better.

[Mr. Lucky]

Ditto.

[Socon-Econ]

Are we ever going to hear LaPierre’s side of the story on FR............
is it posted anywhere? I think we’ll have to wait, unless the case is delayed till we’re all dead and then it won’t matter.

I would love to hear LaPierres’ side of the story.
*************
Even under LaPierre, the NRA accomplished much. This is no time for a circular firing squad to fix past sins.

[Nervous Tick]

>> If this is true, how is it not racketeering (RICO)?

You tell me; you’re the Racketeer. :-)

[RinaseaofDs]

The ILA is the arm that does the advocacy. The NRA is the education arm.

[LuxAerterna]

Are we ever going to hear LaPierre’s side of the story on FR?

Some of his security expenses, IMHO, were justified. There are LOTS of people out there who hold him personally responsible for school shootings.

[31R1O]

There are also stories of NRA execs setting up companies to act as vendors for NRA purchases and making windfall off of the contracts.

[Racketeer]

‘tis!! RICO charges should be filed immediately against the NRA scumbags that facilitated the obvious criminal fraud. The mail and wires, nationally and internationally, were used to accomplish the fraud.

There was certainly an enterprise, a pattern of two or more predicate act, continuity, multiple victims, etc. I mean, do I really need to spell it out for the US Attorney who loves controlling guns.

Heck, they could immediately seize the NRA bank accounts due to the ill gotten gains.

[larrytown]

Are we ever going to hear LaPierre’s side of the story on FR?

I'd rather hear the truth, whatever it is.