NRA files for bankruptcy, moves from New York to Texas

The National Rifle Association filed for bankruptcy and announced that it was “emptying” New York City to move to Texas where it has 400,000 members.

The gun rights group said on Friday it had filed bankruptcy petitions in a U.S. court over a restructuring plan to cut ties with New York.

The NRA said in a statement it will restructure itself as a Texas nonprofit out of what it has called a “ corrupt political and regulatory environment in New York ” where it has been registered for 150 years.

It comes five months after New York Attorney General Letitia James tried to dissolve the NRA by filing a lawsuit accusing its executives of taking $ 64 million from the group for their own personal use.

In a statement announcing the changes, Wayne LaPierre, CEO of the NRA, said, “This strategic plan represents a path to opportunity, growth and progress.

“Obviously, an important part of this plan is to ’empty New York’. The NRA continues to reincorporate into a state that values ​​the contributions of the NRA, celebrates our law-abiding members, and will join us as a partner in defending constitutional freedom.

“This is a moment of transformation in the history of the NRA.”

It comes after New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit against the NRA five months ago in which she accused the group’s leaders of using the organization as their “ personal piggy bank ” for years.

She sought to dissolve the organization over alleged personal dealings by senior leaders of the group.

The NRA counter-sued James, alleging that his bomb trial “was a baseless and premeditated attack on our organization and the Second Amendment freedoms it fights to defend.”

President Trump had urged the group in August last year to move to Texas to avoid legal hassles.

“I think the NRA should move to Texas and have a very good, very good life,” Trump said at the time.