By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
Former National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre must repay $4.3 million to the association as ordered by a New York jury in 2024, a state court of appeals has ruled.
LaPierre, who had served as NRA’s executive vice president for two decades, stepped down in January 2024, just days before the trial started.
As part of the judgment, LaPierre is also barred from holding any position with NRA as an officer or director for a period of ten years.
It all stems from a 2020 lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James, alleging LaPierre and other NRA officials had misappropriated millions of dollars of association funds for personal benefit, according to ABC News, including “private jets, family vacations and luxury goods.”
The Westfair Business Journal is reporting the ruling came from the York State Supreme Court’s Appellate Division, First Judicial Department.
In a statement on her website, James declared, “Wayne LaPierre and other senior NRA leaders broke the law by funneling millions of dollars in lavish perks to themselves and their families. After we successfully proved our case to a jury, LaPierre was ordered to pay $4.3 million and was barred from serving as an NRA officer or director for a decade. This decision upholds the jury’s verdict and is another victory in our efforts to ensure that LaPierre is held accountable for his illegal self-dealing.”
As reported by Westfair, the 2024 jury ruling found that LaPierre and then chief financial officer Wilson “Woody” Phillips had “caused the organization $7.4 million in monetary harm.”
The Trace—the pro-gun control news organ backed by anti-gun billionaire Michael Bloomberg—is reporting that the NRA has seen its revenues decline by millions of dollars annually since 2019, when a significant shakeup occurred beginning with the sudden departure by then-NRA President Oliver North at the annual convention at Indianapolis.
According to a chart posted at The Trace, NRA revenues dropped from $109 million in 2019 to a low of $61.8 million in 2023. In 2024, there was a rebound back up to $70.3 million. Data for 2025 is not yet available.
