New York, US, Feb 22 (EFE).- A New York jury found Friday that the former head of the powerful National Rifle Association, Wayne LaPierre, misspent millions of dollars on extravagant personal expenses and must repay US$4.3 million for his mismanagement.
In a civil trial in the state’s Supreme Court, a jury found a pattern of financial misconduct and corruption between 2014 and 2022, when LaPierre led the New York-based nonprofit.
LaPierre was indicted along with other executives by the New York Attorney General’s Office in 2020 and resigned as president of the NRA, the nation’s most powerful pro-gun lobbying group, on Jan. 31, a week before the trial began.
The group’s former treasurer, Wilson Phillips, and its general counsel, John Frazer, and the NRA itself were also indicted.
Phillips must repay US$2 million and the five-million member organization was found to have ignored whistle-blower complaints and submitted false filings to the state.
“For years, Wayne LaPierre used charitable dollars to fund his lavish lifestyle, spending millions on luxury travel, expensive clothes, insider contracts, and other perks for himself and his family,” New York’s attorney general, Letitia James, said in a statement
This is James’ second major victory in a week after a New York judge fined former President Donald Trump more than $350 million for fraud in his family business.EFE
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