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CNN
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The jury in the civil corruption trial against the National Rifle Association and its executives will continue deliberating after court resumes Tuesday.
The court is currently adjourned until the weekend, which includes Monday's public holiday.
Jurors began deliberating Friday morning in a case that focuses on one of the most powerful lobbying groups in a country with more civilian guns than people.
The National Rifle Association and its executives engaged in massive corruption and should repay the organization for millions of dollars spent on personal expenses, the New York Attorney General's Office says. This was stated in the final argument of the trial.
Assistant Attorney General Monica Connell said in closing arguments Thursday that the NRA, former CEO Wayne LaPierre, former CFO Wilson “Woody” Phillips, general counsel John Fraser and others He said he was arrested with his “hand in the cookie jar.” They denied, deflected and accused each other of failing to properly manage charitable funds and violating nonprofit law by breaching fiduciary duties, she said.
“What happens if someone gets caught in the act?” Connell asked. “What are they going to do? Based on our common sense and life experience, what are they going to do?”
“Just because you stop doing illegal activity after you get caught, doesn't mean the illegal activity goes away,” Connell added.
Mr. LaPierre, who resigned from his NRA position last month for health reasons, testified that he was not in it for the money and that the expenses were part of an effort to strengthen the organization's influence and importance.
Mr. Connell said Mr. LaPierre spent money on private planes, cars, five-star hotels, hundreds of thousands of dollars in clothing, millions of dollars in deals with insiders, payments to loyal directors, and committed corruption. He said that he has been involved in a long history.
Connell said the NRA paid LaPierre $600,000 for a commercial flight to the Bahamas alone, and hair and makeup costs totaled about $41,000.
The NRA's contract with former advertising firm MMP grew each time LaPierre and his wife spent time on the yacht of the owner of Ackerman McQueen, an MMP entity.
From 2015 to 2022, the NRA paid $109 million to MMP entities, which Connell told the jury was split 50-50 between LaPierre, Phillips and Fraser. said that it should be paid as such.
“We're talking about the trust of NRA donors and members who have given their hard-earned money to charity,” Connell said.
Connell said the hiring and firing of former NRA Chairman Oliver North, who previously testified for the state, was a clear example of LaPierre's corruption.
Mr. LaPierre told jurors that Mr. LaPierre put him in office without his approval, offered Mr. North a $1 million contract and later repressed him and ousted him when Mr. North raised concerns.
Connell also claimed that LaPierre maintained a group of defenders of “Wayne's world” on the NRA board.
In an unusual development, NRA members could benefit from the verdict against their former leader. Connell said no money will be paid to the state.
The attorney general's office is asking a jury to find prejudice against Mr. LaPierre and others, and to require the organization to pay restitution and fines.
“This is not a witch hunt,” Connell said. “The Attorney General is seeking to restore to the NRA funds that were wrongly taken from it.”
Kent Correll, Mr. LaPierre's attorney, said in closing arguments Thursday morning that the former CEO “was not interested in building a huge fund for himself. He was not interested in getting money through the back door of the organization.” I wasn't interested in that.”
The state had suggested that all of the private flights LaPierre took “were personal flights in some form,” Correll said. “That wasn't the case. It was in the NRA's interest.”
“The AG doesn't want you to see the heroism. They don't want you to see the freedom he fought for. They don't want you to see the 4 million members. ” he said.
Correll said she knew the New York attorney general was seeking to destroy the organization and the best way to do that was to contact LaPierre.
“She (Letitia James) wanted to cut off the head of the organization, but it was for political reasons,” he said.
Sarah Rogers, an attorney for the NRA, said the fact that the fraud against the nonprofit group was hidden by the organization and that the group, not the state, is the one paying for the damages is “all we need to know about the case.” I understand,” he said.
“I did that because if I found something where I had an advantage, where I made a profit, I wanted to pay it back with interest,” LaPierre testified.
