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The first African-American and first female New York Attorney General, Letitia James, opened an investigation into the NRA’s tax-exempt status on April 26, 2019. James promised to conduct the investigation during her 2018 campaign and told Ebony, “The NRA holds [itself] out as a charitable organization, but in fact, [it] really [is] a terrorist organization,” a reference to the NRA’s promotion of white supremacy and violence.
James’ office will be looking at multiple financial entities including The NRA Foundation, which has transferred more than $100 million to the NRA since 2012. Donations to The NRA Foundation are tax-deductible, but those to the NRA are not. Since 2010, the NRA has also paid $18 million to a company to produce “Under Wild Skies,” a hunting show on NRA-TV. Tyler Schropp, the NRA’s advancement director, had a stake in that production company until 2017. The NRA has also directed millions of dollars in questionable payments to executives at Ackerman McQueen, the group’s long-time in-house PR firm.
New York state law holds that non-profit organizations “may not be formed for pecuniary profit or financial gain and the corporation’s assets, income or profit may not be distributed to or otherwise used to benefit the corporation’s members.”
Please contact NY Attorney General Letitia James through one of the channels below and give her the following message, personalized to your liking:
Attorney General James, I can’t thank you enough for your investigation into the tax-exempt status of the NRA in the state of New York. As you’ve pointed out, “charitable” organizations do not raise money under false pretenses and use those funds to promote white supremacy and violence. For years, NRA executives have used contributions to the organization’s various financial entities to enrich themselves personally—a contradiction of New York’s rules for non-profit organizations. I appreciate you being the AG to step up and address this violation of law. The NRA has been such a destructive force in American society over the last four decades. So many precious lives have been lost as a result of their lobbying and pay-offs. To see them finally held accountable for their criminality means the world to me. I’m sure the NRA will mobilize and come after you, but I want you to know I have got your back 100% on this. The safety of our loved ones hangs in the balance.
New York Attorney General Letitia James
Phone: (800) 771-7755
Email: NYAG.Pressoffice@ag.ny.gov
or https://ag.ny.gov/questions-comments-to-attorney-general
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newyorkstateag/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/newyorkstateag
Once you have contacted AG James, fill in the three fields below and click the orange banner to report taking action!