Major NRA donor to challenge gun group's bankruptcy over alleged fraud

[friendly_iconoclast]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/16/nra-donor-bankruptcy-dave-dellaquila-wayne-lapierre

Complaint could stop top NRA executives from discharging a substantial portion of the organisation’s debts

A major donor to the National Rifle Association is poised to challenge key aspects of the gun group’s bankruptcy filing, in an attempt to hold executives accountable for allegedly having defrauded their members of millions of dollars to support their own lavish lifestyles.

Dave Dell’Aquila, a former tech company boss who has donated more than $100,000 to the NRA, told the Guardian on Saturday he was preparing to lodge a complaint in US bankruptcy court in Dallas, Texas. If successful, it could stop top NRA executives discharging a substantial portion of the organisation’s debts.

It could also stop Wayne LaPierre, the NRA’s controversial longtime chief executive, avoiding ongoing lawsuits that allege he defrauded the pro-gun group’s members to pay for luxury travel to the Bahamas and Europe and high-end Zegna suits.

LaPierre has denied the allegations of financial impropriety, insisting in a letter to NRA members that the group is “well-governed, financially solvent and committed to good governance”.

I've got the ghee/movie popcorn butter ready to go if anyone's making popcorn...

[friendly_iconoclast]

1. As an aside, why haven't the 'reform activists' been covering this story?

I'd have thought they would have been all over this this like ugly on a cheap suit...

[krispos42]

4. There were a couple threads that made it to the front page

I didn't read them but I'm sure it was full of people salivating at the thought of being able to treat gun rights like the Repubes treat abortion rights.



It is what it is.

[Dial H For Hero]

5. I'd ask them, but it seems I've been banned from the group.

[friendly_iconoclast]

6. I think I know one reason why it's not getting more play in gun abolitionist circles

There's the recent tsunami of publicity about GOP corruption/criminality in general, of course-

another thing is the anti's long time schtick of 'NRA-as-Sauron': an all-powerful force controlling gun culture.

They were a always major player, and for a long time the most important one- but they never were the only one.

The Second Amendment Foundation, for instance was the driving force for court cases in recent years.

Non-RW gun owners now have alternatives like the Liberal Gun Club, National African American Gun Association,
and the Pink Pistols. In recent years, the NRA managed to get (at best) 6-7% of American gun owners to join.
-though it must be admitted they were certainly skilled at recruiting shady Russian businessmen.

Those hoping that gun culture would crash and burn if/when the NRA fell were always wrong, and were told so in
this group by several posters...

[Girard442]

2. By "challenging the bankruptcy" does that mean they assert the money's still there somewhere?

[friendly_iconoclast]

3. Imo, this is so Dell'Aquila can bring in some forensic accountants

And if what he's alleged is true, and can be proven-

LaPierre, et al, might be the doing a perp walk in the future

We can only hope!