• On Friday, a Manhattan judge rejected the NRA's bid to throw out a lawsuit by New York's attorney general.
  • AG Letitia James can continue to seek to bar Wayne LaPierre from leading the gun group.
  • James is also seeking an independent monitor, something the NRA likened to a state "takeover."

In a legal loss for the NRA and its newly re-installed leader, a Manhattan judge on Friday rejected the gun group's bid to quash a lawsuit that seeks to install an independent monitor and oust Wayne LaPierre from its helm.

The decision by New York State Supreme Court Justice Joel Cohen allows a lawsuit by New York Attorney General Letitia James to move forward by rejecting the NRA's claim that she pursued the gun group solely out of political bias.

The NRA has failed to prove that James pursued the NRA only because of her political views, the judge ruled.

Instead, James' allegations of "fraud, waste, and looting" are enough to justify her lawsuit, regardless of her political beliefs, the judge wrote.

"There are no factual allegations suggesting that the stated concerns driving the investigation — reports of fraud, waste, and looting within the NRA — were imaginary or not believed by the Attorney General," the judge wrote.

None of the AG's claims are frivolous, Cohen added.

"In fact, the NRA itself recognized many of the same issues about corporate governance underlying the Attorney General's investigation," the judge wrote.

James' lawsuit seeks to oust LaPierre from the group's helm by barring him and three other leaders from ever heading a non-profit in New York.

The suit also seeks to install a court-appointed monitor, something the NRA has likened to a state "takeover" attempt.

Cohen had sided with the NRA just two months ago, in another key ruling. He refused to dissolve the group in its entirety, as James had originally requested, arguing that doing so could impinge on the free speech rights of millions of members. James has yet to say if she is appealing that ruling.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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