The National Rifle Association is suing its charitable wing, alleging that its leadership is stealing NRA trademarks and “misappropriating the many millions of dollars that NRA supporters contributed,” to position itself as a competitor to the longstanding gun rights advocacy group, which has been plagued by scandal in recent years.
The NRA alleges in the complaint that the NRA Foundation, founded in 1990 to support the NRA’s charitable activities, is seeking to cut ties with the original NRA.
The suit claims the foundation has demanded donor lists, social media accounts, and other valuable pieces of information, while declining to fund 2026 NRA charitable activities that donors originally thought their money was supporting.
The foundation could be on track to misuse as much as $160 million, according to the lawsuit, which was filed on Monday in Washington, D.C., federal court.
“The Foundation has retained counsel and intends to mount a vigorous defense and pursue all available remedies and relief,” the NRA Foundation said in a statement.
“The Foundation’s trustees and leadership take their fiduciary obligations to the Foundation seriously,” it added. “Notwithstanding the NRA’s allegations and actions over recent months, the Foundation has continued to provide appropriate funding for qualifying c3 programs of the NRA and other organizations that are consistent with its charitable mission.”
The complaint paints a picture of an ongoing power struggle in the wake of Wayne LaPierre, the longtime CEO of the NRA, resigning in 2024 amid corruption allegations and later being found liable for millions in repayment.
It alleges the foundation’s board has “been seized” by an “Old Guard” of “former NRA directors who lost control of the NRA’s Board following revelations of financial improprieties,” who have since sought to “transform the Foundation into a vehicle for personal reprisal, against the reformers who displaced them at the NRA.”
The NRA Foundation did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
LaPierre resigned in January 2024, citing health reasons, shortly before he was to appear in court in a case brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Her lawsuit, filed in 2020, alleged LaPierre “routinely abused his authority” to get organization funds for personal trips on yachts, private jets, black-car service, and expensive gifts.
LaPierre was later barred from serving in the organization for a decade, and the NRA was at risk of being appointed a government financial monitor.
Since then, the NRA, which once played an influential role in politics, especially among Republicans, has seen its sway diminish.
Its spending on the 2024 elections, about $11 million, was roughly a third of its 2020 spending, according to OpenSecrets.
In November, the NRA announced it was furloughing dozens of staff, a move it said was meant to “create a leaner NRA that focuses on stretching every member dollar.”
