Former National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre waves to someone as he leaves a courthouse in New York, Monday, July 29, 2024. A New York judge has declined to appoint an outside monitor to oversee the NRA’s finances and internal policies, but the judge said he will bar LaPierre, a former leader of the organization, from holding any paid position at the organization for the next 10 years.
Seth Wenig/AP
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Seth Wenig/AP
NEW YORK — A New York judge on Monday banned former National Rifle Association president Wayne LaPierre from holding paid employment with the organization for 10 years but declined to appoint an independent monitor to oversee the gun rights group.
Judge Joel Cohen’s split decision came on the final day of arguments in the second phase of a civil trial brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
In the first phase of the trial, handed down by a Manhattan jury in February, Mr. LaPierre and another deputy marshal were found guilty of squandering millions of dollars on lavish travel and other personal expenses.
In his ruling, Judge Cohen said state oversight requests were not an appropriate solution, suggesting an oversight mechanism would be “time-consuming, disruptive and would impose significant costs on the NRA without commensurate benefits.”
Cohen also said he was concerned about “government interference in the organization’s operations that threatens to silence speech.”
He said similar First Amendment concerns don’t apply to whether LaPierre can return to the organization anytime soon.
“This relief concerns the privilege, not the right, of serving as an officer or director of a New York nonprofit organization,” he said.
