NRA says it’s in ‘financial crisis’, accuses New York state of ‘blacklisting campaign’
Gun advocacy group is one of America’s biggest lobbyists, spending millions on politicians, but may have overspent in 2016 presidential election
The National Rifle Association (NRA) claims it’s facing deep financial problems and it might go broke in a lawsuit that blames its problems on the state of New York.
The gun rights organisation said it may soon have to stop producing its magazines and video streaming service, NRAtv, because of actions by the state of New York, which it accused of running a “blacklisting campaign”.
The campaign appears to be part of a national movement calling for companies to cut ties with the group in the aftermath of several high profile shootings, most notably the school shooting in Parkland, Florida.
The gun lobbying group claims in its lawsuit, which targets Governor Andrew Cuomo, the New York State Department of Financial Services and its head Maria Vullo, that the state has caused “irrecoverable loss and irreparable harm” to the organisation.
Rolling Stone first obtained the lawsuit and published the 45-page complaint online on Friday.
Over several months, the NRA has taken aim at the state of New York and its financial regulators after the state ruled the NRA’s insurance “Carry Guard” was illegal because it gave liability protection to gun owners for acts where there was “intentional wrongdoing”.
