The Internal Revenue Service is investigating National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre for possible criminal tax fraud, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
New York attorney general Letitia James filed suit against the NRA in August, seeking to dissolve the organization and accusing LaPierre and other senior members of repeated fraud stretching back decades. When asked at a press conference whether she believed LaPierre evaded reporting personal taxes, James said she had contacted the IRS regarding the issue.
LaPierre’s attorney did not immediately respond to the Journal‘s request for comment. An outside lawyer for the NRA said that the organization was willing to cooperate with the investigation.
“The NRA is not aware of any IRS inquiry but, of course, will fully cooperate with any appropriate requests for assistance,” said attorney William A. Brewer III.
In August, James alleged that the NRA was”fraught with fraud and abuse” and that “the organization went unchecked for decades while top executives funneled millions into their own pockets.” The NRA vowed to fight the lawsuit.
“This was a baseless, premeditated attack on our organization and the Second Amendment freedoms it fights to defend,” NRA president Carolyn Meadows said at the time. “It’s a transparent attempt to score political points and attack the leading voice in opposition to the leftist agenda.”
President Trump commented on the lawsuit, “I think the NRA should just move to Texas and live a great and beautiful life.”