{"id":33980,"date":"2024-01-09T01:20:15","date_gmt":"2024-01-09T01:20:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/?p=33980"},"modified":"2024-01-09T12:34:46","modified_gmt":"2024-01-09T12:34:46","slug":"the-states-opening-arguments-in-nra-trial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/?p=33980","title":{"rendered":"The State&#8217;s Opening Arguments In NRA Trial (Updated)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class='__iawmlf-post-loop-links' style='display:none;' data-iawmlf-post-links='[{&quot;id&quot;:1492,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.theoutdoorwire.com\\\/features\\\/d7f175a9-7a5b-4a8f-9ad1-b64861f4d764&quot;,&quot;archived_href&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/web-wp.archive.org\\\/web\\\/20240916122027\\\/https:\\\/\\\/www.theoutdoorwire.com\\\/features\\\/d7f175a9-7a5b-4a8f-9ad1-b64861f4d764&quot;,&quot;redirect_href&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;checks&quot;:[{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-15 17:13:05&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:206},{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-20 13:53:53&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:206},{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-24 21:23:45&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:206}],&quot;broken&quot;:false,&quot;last_checked&quot;:{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-24 21:23:45&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:206},&quot;process&quot;:&quot;done&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:1493,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/gothamist.com\\\/news\\\/nra-civil-corruption-trial-set-to-start-today-in-manhattan&quot;,&quot;archived_href&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;redirect_href&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;checks&quot;:[],&quot;broken&quot;:false,&quot;last_checked&quot;:null,&quot;process&quot;:&quot;done&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:1494,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.theguardian.com\\\/us-news\\\/2024\\\/jan\\\/08\\\/nra-wayne-lapierre-civil-corruption-trial&quot;,&quot;archived_href&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;redirect_href&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;checks&quot;:[],&quot;broken&quot;:false,&quot;last_checked&quot;:null,&quot;process&quot;:&quot;done&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:1495,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.nbcnews.com\\\/news\\\/us-news\\\/nras-corruption-trial-begins-longtime-leaders-sudden-exit-rcna132925&quot;,&quot;archived_href&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/web-wp.archive.org\\\/web\\\/20250724113054\\\/https:\\\/\\\/www.nbcnews.com\\\/news\\\/us-news\\\/nras-corruption-trial-begins-longtime-leaders-sudden-exit-rcna132925&quot;,&quot;redirect_href&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;checks&quot;:[{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-15 17:15:08&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:503},{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-20 13:53:54&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:200}],&quot;broken&quot;:false,&quot;last_checked&quot;:{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-04-20 13:53:54&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:200},&quot;process&quot;:&quot;done&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:1496,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/law.justia.com\\\/codes\\\/new-york\\\/2022\\\/cvp\\\/article-41\\\/4113&quot;,&quot;archived_href&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;redirect_href&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;checks&quot;:[],&quot;broken&quot;:false,&quot;last_checked&quot;:null,&quot;process&quot;:&quot;done&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:1497,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.theoutdoorwire.com\\\/features\\\/8e0c404a-211b-4505-9333-cb53b02a4d4c&quot;,&quot;archived_href&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;redirect_href&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.theoutdoorwire.com\\\/features\\\/8e0c404a-211b-4505-9333-cb53b02a4d4c\\\/&quot;,&quot;checks&quot;:[],&quot;broken&quot;:false,&quot;last_checked&quot;:null,&quot;process&quot;:&quot;done&quot;}]'><\/div>\n<p>I am not in New York City for the NRA trial. Given the law in New York forbids any audio-visual broadcast of trials, I will have to rely on reports from the mainstream media and other <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theoutdoorwire.com\/features\/d7f175a9-7a5b-4a8f-9ad1-b64861f4d764\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">observers such as Jim Shepherd of the Outdoor Wires<\/a><\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Monica Connell, Assistant Attorney General of New York, is the lead attorney for the NY Charities Bureau in this case. Her opening statement was made today in court which reportedly lasted for more than an hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/gothamist.com\/news\/nra-civil-corruption-trial-set-to-start-today-in-manhattan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gothamist which is a news feed from WNYC<\/a><\/strong> &#8211; New York Public Radio on the opening statement:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Assistant Attorney General Monica Connell said in the state\u2019s opening arguments that executives at the NRA violated both state laws and internal policies by spending excessive amounts of money and then covering up their expenditures. She said the organization\u2019s leaders also \u201cbreached the trust\u201d of the donors who \u201ctook money out of their pocket\u201d to advance the NRA\u2019s cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey should be able to trust that their hard-earned money they donated will not be used for luxury travel,\u201d Connell said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Connell\u2019s opening statement detailed some of the steep price tags the NRA\u2019s executives charged to the organization in recent years, including millions of dollars on private flights. She also told jurors about the safeguards that are supposed to prevent nonprofits in New York from mismanaging funds. The assistant attorney general argued the NRA\u2019s leaders worked to undermine those safeguards by lying, retaliating against whistleblowers and hiring high-ranking employees who would be more loyal to corrupt executives than to the mission of the organization.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>They also reported that Wayne LaPierre watched on from the gallery which was filled with attorneys, observers, and reporters.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/image-1024x683.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-33981\" style=\"width:696px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/image-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/image-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/image-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/image-640x427.png 640w, https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/image-940x627.png 940w, https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/image-440x294.png 440w, https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/image.png 1110w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo of Wayne arriving at the courthouse &#8211; by Brendan McDermid\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2024\/jan\/08\/nra-wayne-lapierre-civil-corruption-trial\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Guardian has more of Connell&#8217;s opening statement<\/a><\/strong> to the jury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cThe&nbsp;NRA&nbsp;allowed Wayne LaPierre and his group of insiders \u2026 to operate the NRA as \u2018Wayne\u2019s World\u2019 for decades,\u201d Connell told a six-member jury that was sworn in earlier in the day, referencing the 1992 comedy movie starring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWayne LaPierre and his friends effectively suppressed the voice of anyone who challenged his leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis case is about corruption in a charity. It\u2019s about breaches of trust, it\u2019s about power. People take their hard-earned money and donate it to charities they believe in. It doesn\u2019t matter what the cause is. They should be able to trust that the hard-earned money they donate is going to advance the mission of that charity.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/us-news\/nras-corruption-trial-begins-longtime-leaders-sudden-exit-rcna132925\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/us-news\/nras-corruption-trial-begins-longtime-leaders-sudden-exit-rcna132925\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Earlier today<\/a><\/strong>, the jury was seated. It consists of six jurors and six alternates. All 12 will be in the courtroom for the trial but only six will actually deliberate the charges. Moreover, under <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/law.justia.com\/codes\/new-york\/2022\/cvp\/article-41\/4113\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NY civil law and practice<\/a><\/strong>, a verdict can be delivered if five out of six agree on the verdict. It need not be unanimous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>UPDATE: Jim Shepherd of the Outdoor Wires was in the courtroom yesterday. He gives his impression of the start of the trial <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theoutdoorwire.com\/features\/8e0c404a-211b-4505-9333-cb53b02a4d4c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>From the firing of Lt. Col. Oliver North as NRA President at the now-infamous 2019 Annual Meetings in Indianapolis, to the harassment and retaliation charges of former NRA Board Members Esther Schneider and Phillip Journey, LaPierre was characterized as a man who broached no threats to his authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He was also characterized as a man who used the system to his advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With a rudimentary knowledge of accounting and how the NRA\u2019s internal structure operates, specifically in regards to the distinct lines between the National Rifle Association and the NRA-ILA (Institute for Legislative Action), I was confused by the details and accounting practices outlined by the prosecution. One can only imagine the confusion it caused jurors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the case appeared effective in one respect: despite occasionally digging deeply into details, it always wound its way back to a pair of key names: Wayne LaPierre and Woody Phillips. Throughout their joint tenure, the NRA coffers were allegedly used as \u201cprivate piggy banks\u201d for the duo, their chosen subordinates and enabling Board Members.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I am not in New York City for the NRA trial. Given the law in New York forbids any&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[6725,26,5770,27],"class_list":["post-33980","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-monica-connell","tag-nra","tag-state-of-new-york-v-nra-et-all","tag-wayne-lapierre"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33980","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=33980"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33980\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33984,"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33980\/revisions\/33984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=33980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=33980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlygunsandmoney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=33980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}