by According to a letter from NRA President Bob Barr, Wayne LaPierre has “initiated” payment of the $4.6 million that the New York jury determined was owed to the NRA. The letter was a “dear colleague” letter posted on Facebook in the Members Take Back the NRA group. This letter was sent out on Monday afternoon.
Colleagues:
On behalf of the Special Litigation Committee (SLC), I am pleased to announce another step forward in the NRA’s efforts to fully resolve its legal battle with the NYAG.
Following the Court’s final judgment entered on December 11, 2024, the NRA today received notice from counsel for Wayne LaPierre that his client has initiated payment of more than $4.6 million. The payment is intended to satisfy the final judgment. It does not represent a compromise, release, or settlement of legal claims by the NRA.
As previously noted, all payments relating to the final judgment are made to the NRA – not by the NRA. The NRA vigorously supports the pursuit of payments from other individual defendants, including former CFO Wilson “Woody” Phillips and former NRA executive Joshua Powell. We wrote to the NYAG today regarding both remaining payments.
I appreciate Wayne’s compliance with the court’s order. This is another step forward in our journey to fully resolve these matters – in the interests of our millions of loyal members. We now call upon the NYAG to collect and remit other payments owed to the Association.
I am proud that, collectively, we are pursuing improvements to our governance in support of our mission and the members we serve. There has never been a more promising time for the Association and its fight for freedom.
Thank you for your continued support.
Warm Regards,
Bob Barr, NRA President
According to prior settlements with Woody Phillips and Josh Powell, they have agreed to repay with interest the NRA $2 million and $100,000 respectively. These settlement were made with the New York Attorney General’s Office.
Reading through the letter, I do have some questions. When Barr says “initiated payment”, is this for the full amount plus interest in one check or is it a partial payment that will be coming over time? I would wager that very few of my readers could just write a check for $4.6 million. That it is presumed that Wayne can do it is an indication of how much money he has been paid in salary and bonuses over the years.
Moreover, will the Board of Directors be seeking reimbursement for monies paid to P. Kent Correll for Wayne LaPierre’s defense? I know there is a resolution seeking just that which will be presented to the Board on Saturday. Under New York Not for Profit Corporation Law, indemnification is not allowed where the person has been judged liable to the corporation, unless the court approves. (See § 721 through § 725) I know of no approval that was forthcoming on this from Judge Cohen.
While Barr is patting the SLC and himself on the back for their role in this case, it should go without saying that the need for the Special Litigation Committee is long over. One hopes the Board makes that clear this weekend when the resolve to dissolve the SLC. Additionally, the upcoming Board election will determine whether “improvements to our governance” will be superficial window-dressing or meaningful change. Leaving any of the cabal on the Board would be a vote in favor of the former rather than the latter.
