The National Rifle Association is now in court against its own charity, accusing the NRA Foundation of hijacking its name, brand, and donor money. In a federal lawsuit filed Monday in Washington, DC, the gun rights group says the foundation has been raising money off the NRA's reputation while operating as a rival organization, reports NBC News. "This is a disappointing day, and it should not have come to this," NRA chief Doug Hamlin said in a statement, calling the complaint a "last resort," per the Washington Post.
At the center of the dispute is roughly $160 million the foundation allegedly collected "alongside" the NRA, per NBC. The NRA argues that money was mishandled in violation of charitable trust rules and claims the foundation is misleading donors by presenting itself as the NRA or as an officially sanctioned affiliate. The group wants a judge to block the foundation from using its trademarked intellectual property and from suggesting its activities are authorized by or connected to the NRA.
The lawsuit portrays the foundation as controlled by a "disgruntled" group of ex-NRA directors who the organization says were allies of longtime former NRA chief Wayne LaPierre and were forced out after allegations of financial mismanagement and breaches of fiduciary duty. According to the filing, those ex-leaders are using the foundation to reclaim influence, cut grant funding to the NRA, seize control of particular NRA programs, and compete directly for donations.
The internal fight comes on the heels of a damaging civil corruption case in New York. In February 2024, a jury found that LaPierre funneled millions in association funds to support a lavish lifestyle, and a judge later barred him from NRA membership for 10 years. LaPierre resigned days before that trial began. The NRA Foundation didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the new lawsuit.
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