LaPierre says he did not tell NRA leaders before filing for bankruptcy

The National Rifle Association’s top executive, Wayne LaPierre, said in court on Wednesday that he did not tell top NRA officials before filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. 

While LaPierre said he consulted the three-member special litigation committee of the NRA board, he did not tell the organization’s 76 board members and other leaders, according to The Associated Press. He did not say why he did not disclose the bankruptcy decision.

“We filed this bankruptcy to look for a fair legal playing field where NRA could prosper and grow in a fair legal environment,” LaPierre said during a virtual federal court hearing based in Dallas, “as opposed to what we believed had become a toxic, politicized, weaponized government in New York state.”

Lawyers for the NRA have argued that the bankruptcy was a legitimate attempt to move the organization to a more politically friendly location in Texas.

New York Attorney General Letitia James sued the group and sought its dissolution five months before it filed for bankruptcy.

The state alleges that top NRA officials improperly used its funds for lavish expenses and other questionable spending.