New York attorney general seeks to dissolve NRA, alleging financial fraud

New York State Attorney General Letitia James on Thursday announced that she was seeking to dissolve the National Rifle Association, claiming members of the storied gun rights group have engaged in sustained financial fraud and misuse of the organization's funds. 

James said at a press conference that an investigation into the company's finances over the last 18 months revealed tens of millions of dollars in illegally misappropriated funds.

The attorney general cited a total of 18 actionable causes against the organization, which is headquartered in New York and thus falls under her jurisdiction. 

In a statement on Thursday, James said that the NRA "has been so powerful that the organization went unchecked for decades while top executives funneled millions into their own pockets."

"The NRA is fraught with fraud and abuse, which is why, today, we seek to dissolve the NRA, because no organization is above the law," the statement continued. 

The National Rifle Associated has long been seen as one of the most powerful civil rights organizations in the country, tapping into the centuries-old, widespread American cultural affinity for gun rights. Republican candidates have long sought the NRA's endorsements, while failing grades from the organization have often had strongly negative effects on anti-gun candidates' political prospects.

Asked about the allegations and the lawsuit on Thursday, meanwhile, President Trump told supporters: "I think the NRA should move to Texas."