NRA reported abuse by executives to IRS

After years of denying allegations of lax financial oversight, the National Rifle Association madea stunning declaration in a 2019 tax filing: Current and former executives used the nonprofit group’s money for personal benefit and enrichment.

The NRA said in the filing that it continues to review the alleged abuse of funds, as the tax-exempt organization curtails services and runs up multimillion-dollar legal bills.

The assertion of impropriety comes four months after New York’s attorney filed a lawsuit accusing NRA chief executive Wayne LaPierre and other top officials of using NRA funds for decades to provide inflated salaries and expense accounts.

The tax return, which the Washington Post obtained from the organization, says the NRA “became aware during 2019of a significant diversion of its assets.”

The 2019 filing states that LaPierre and five former officials received “excess benefits,” a term the IRS uses when officials have enriched themselves at the expense of a nonprofit entity.

The disclosures in the tax return suggest that the organization is standing by its 71-year-old chief executive while continuing to pursue former executives who left the group.

The filing says Lapierre “corrected” his financial lapses with a repayment and contends that former executives “improperly” used NRA funds or charged the nonprofit for expenses that were “not appropriate.”

Lapierre has reimbursed the organization nearly $300,000 in travel expenses covering 2015 to 2019, according to the tax return, which doesn’t explain how that amount was determined or when Lapierre paid it.

NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam said in a statement this week that “the vast majority of Mr. Lapierre’s travel was undertaken in strict compliance with NRA policy.”

In response to questions from the Post, Nraofficials said the organization is financially strong and adhering to nonprofit law.

“As its tax filing demonstrates, the NRA is committed to strict compliance with its accounting controls and good-governance practices,” said Charles Cotton, an NRA vice president and audit committee chairman.