NRA Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, No Major Changes Planned

FAIRFAX, VA — The National Rifle Association, the gun lobby that is headquartered in Virginia and that has remained a steady ally for gun rights advocates, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Texas on Friday, but said it remains unwavering to its mission of helping "law-abiding Americans."

The Fairfax-based organization said in an issued statement Friday that it remains in its “strongest financial condition in years” and maintains that it filed for bankruptcy protection to “escape a corrupt political and regulatory environment” in New York.

In a letter to NRA supporters and members on its website, Wayne LaPierre, the NRA’s CEO and executive vice president, said the organization’s restructuring plan provides the NRA with long-term sustainability as the nation’s leading advocate for constitutional freedom.

“The plan can be summed up quite simply,” LaPierre wrote. “We are DUMPING New York and we are plans on reincorporate the NRA in Texas.”

While the letter suggests that the powerful gun lobby may be relocating away from Fairfax, officials indicated that as of now, that is not the case.

“I know we have welcomed many of you to our headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia,” the statement on the website reads. “We have no immediate plans to relocate, but we are forming a special committee to explore our strategic options in this regard. We want to determine if there are advantages to relocating our HQ operations to another state. I have asked our leadership team to explore all options that benefit the NRA and its members."

Friday’s Chapter 11 filing in Texas comes on the heels of New York Attorney General, Letitia James, filing a lawsuit to dissolve the group. In the suit, James maintains that the NRA has moved millions of dollars designated for charitable giving and instead earmarked it for “personal use by senior leadership.”

In the letter from LaPierre, the CEO writes that the organization has no planned changes in NRA operations or workforce.

“The NRA will continue what we’ve always done —confronting anti-gun, anti-self-defense and anti-hunting activities and promoting constitutional advocacy that helps law-abiding Americans,” LaPierre wrote. “Our work will continue as it always has.”