Joshua Powell, former National Rifle Association (NRA) Executive Director of Operations and Chief of Staff to recently resigned NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre, has reached a $100,000 agreement with the New York State Attorney General’s Office. Powell was one of five defendants in the lawsuit brought by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) against the NRA and senior management in August 2020. As part of the agreement, Powell has admitted to OAG’s claims of wrongdoing in its lawsuit. The trial of the claims against the NRA and the remaining defendants will begin on Monday.
“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,” said Attorney General James. “More than three years ago, my office sued the NRA and its senior management for decades of financial abuse and mismanagement. These are important victories in our case, and we look forward to ensuring the NRA and the defendants face justice for their actions.”
The lawsuit brought by Attorney General James in August 2020 alleged that NRA senior management misappropriated millions of dollars to fund personal benefits, including private jets, expensive meals, and even family trips to the Bahamas. The NRA, as a New York-registered not-for-profit, charitable corporation, has legal obligations to use its funds for charitable purposes, not to support the lavish lifestyles of senior management and organization insiders. The OAG investigation found that instead of serving NRA members, senior management blatantly disregarded New York state and federal laws, and even internal NRA policies.
With Saturday’s agreement, Powell has admitted to failing in his fiduciary responsibilities and misusing charitable funds, just as Attorney General James alleged in the August 2020 lawsuit.
