NEW YORK — A lawsuit by the National Rifle Association challenging the constitutionality of New York’s probe into its financial practices was thrown out, vindicating a politically charged investigation that had briefly threatened the future of the gun-rights group.
The lawsuit accusing New York Attorney General Letitia James of investigating the NRA for political purposes rather than legal ones was dismissed Friday by state court justice Joel M. Cohen in Manhattan. James’ probe and subsequent claims against the NRA were not “pretext” and were justified by “detailed allegations of wrongdoing at the highest levels of a not-for-profit organization,” the judge said.
“The narrative that the Attorney General’s investigation into these undeniably serious matters was nothing more than a politically motivated — and unconstitutional — witch hunt is simply not supported by the record,” the judge wrote.
The ruling is the latest setback for the NRA, which has been the recipient of withering criticism for holding its annual national meeting just days after the massacre at an elementary school in Ulvade, Texas, where 19 children and two teachers were slain.
James, a Democrat, said in a statement that the court had “reaffirmed the legitimacy and viability of my office’s lawsuit against the NRA for its years of fraud, abuse and greed.”
The NRA’s lawyer, William A. Brewer III, said in a statement that while he is disappointed by the opinion, some of the claims in the case had become moot anyway after James’ attempt to dissolve the gun-rights organization in a separate lawsuit — the culmination of her probe — flopped.
“And, as the record reflects, the NRA is committed to good governance and is transparent about its efforts in that regard,” Brewer said, adding that the NRA continues to believe James is biased against the organization. “There is an extraordinary public record that the NYAG, as a candidate, vowed to target the Association — chilling evidence of her motivations.”
The ruling is the second setback for the gun industry in New York in two weeks. A judge in federal court in Albany threw out a lawsuit filed by Glock Inc., Smith & Wesson Brands Inc. and other gun makers challenging a 2021 New York statute authorizing the state to sue them over some gun violence.
