Joshua Powell, who was named as a defendant in a civil case brought by New York’s state Attorney General Letitia James against the infamous National Rifle Association (NRA) and individuals connected to the group, has admitted to wrongdoing in a settlement with James announced just before trial will be beginning.
Powell “admitted to failing in his fiduciary responsibilities and misusing charitable funds, just as Attorney General James alleged in the August 2020 lawsuit,” according to a press release from James’ office. Her case centers on such allegations, contending that NRA funds were redirected towards personal ambitions of individuals in leadership, violating legal obligations covering the organization under New York rules and even internal policies, James says. The disputed money allegedly went towards “private jets, expensive meals, and even family trips to the Bahamas,” that release adds.
James’ case has been ongoing for years, with the NRA repeatedly and consistently failing in both direct and indirect ploys against it. A bankruptcy judge, for example, rejected a bankruptcy claim filed by the organization, declaring it not actually brought in good faith. The NRA was suspected of trying to use the bankruptcy process to evade the legal processes kickstarted by James’ case, including through a prospective re-establishment of key business operations in Texas instead of New York.
Powell previously served as Executive Director of Operations at the NRA and was also Chief of Staff to Wayne LaPierre, who until just recently was an infamous leader of the organization. (He resigned.)
As part of his settlement, Powell was also made subject to $100,000 in financial penalties, and he will also be blocked from serving in a variety of roles for charitable organizations operating in New York. The ban even covers non-profit organizations merely soliciting donations from New Yorkers. The consequences mirror what James is now seeking in a case against Donald Trump and others alleging a years-long pattern of business fraud. She’s asked for Trump to be permanently banned from substantive participation in New York’s real estate industry and financially penalized.
