The NRA’s half-decade legal ordeal all but came to an end this week when a New York judge denied Attorney General Letitia James’s request to install a government monitor over the group.
That’s the biggest takeaway, but the details are important. The Judge barred Wayne LaPierre from returning to the group in an official capacity for 10 years. And, as I explain for members, he appears poised to institute a series of more targeted reforms at the NRA.
There were big developments in the presidential race’s gun politics, too. In the links, you can see the biggest gun-control groups have committed to spending an additional $60 million on elections this year. Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign also attempted to walk back her support of a mandatory buyback for so-called assault weapons in comments to us. That’s something I predicted she’d probably do in a members’ piece last week. It’s also one of the main topics we discussed on the podcast with National Review’s Charles Cooke.
State gun policy saw major shakeups this week as well. A federal judge tossed New Jersey’s AR-15 ban while upholding its magazine ban. That was after Massachusetts passed a sweeping new gun law, which Contributing Writer Jake Fogleman sifted through to report on the details.
Judge Denies Request to Appoint Government Monitor Over NRA, Blocks LaPierre from Rejoining Group
By Joseph Brucker and Stephen Gutowski
Manhattan, New York — The National Rifle Association will not have to contend with a court-appointed overseer as it moves forward under new leadership, a New York judge ruled on Monday.
Judge Joel Cohen rejected New York Attorney General Letitia James’s (D.) request to subject the group to a monitor after a jury found in February that it failed to safeguard its charitable asserts or protect whistleblowers. Cohen did bar former CEO and Executive Vice President (EVP) Wayne LaPierre, who resigned for health reasons shortly before the jury found him liable for millions in damages to the NRA, from rejoining the group in an official capacity for ten years–though James wanted him barred for life. However, he found no further relief was necessary for NRA Secretary John Frazer’s role in filing false statements on behalf of the group.
Analysis: The NRA’s Fate Isn’t Decided Yet [Member Exclusive]
By Stephen Gutowski
The judge in the NRA’s corruption case denied the New York Attorney General’s request for a court-appointed monitor to oversee the organization. But that isn’t the end of the story for the nation’s largest gun-rights group.
The NRA’s defeat of a monitor is the major takeaway. It was the primary remedy offered up by the AG. It was also the one endorsed by several dissident NRA board members.
However, that doesn’t mean the NRA got what it was arguing for either. For one, Judge Joel Cohen barred former CEO Wayne LaPierre from rejoining the group in an official capacity for at least a decade. But there’s good reason to think his order will extend further than that.
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Kamala Harris Walks Back Past Calls for AR-15 Confiscation
By Jake Fogleman
The Democratic candidate for President no longer wants to force millions of Americans to sell their AR-15s and similar firearms to the government.
At least, that’s the line her campaign is taking. Unnamed officials with the Kamala Harris campaign told the New York Times on Monday that the Vice President no longer supports many of the progressive policy stances she took during her first presidential run in 2019, including a mandatory buyback of civilian-owned “assault weapons.” Instead, her campaign said that she merely supports banning the sale of those guns moving forward.
The Harris Campaign confirmed the position change in an email to The Reload.
“Correct, the VP will not push for a mandatory buy back as president,” Lauren Hitt, a Harris spokesperson, told The Reload. “She has expressed support for red flag laws, universal background checks and an assault weapons ban.”
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Podcast: National Review’s Charles Cooke on How Kamala Harris Shakes Up 2024 Gun Politics
By Stephen Gutowski
Another week, another wild series of events in the 2024 presidential race. This time, the Democratic ticket was entirely upended, and Kamala Harris all but wrapped up her position at the top.
To discuss how this affects gun politics, we’ve got National Review’s Charles Cooke back on the show for the first time in a while. Cooke said that Harris has been to the left of her predecessor, Joe Biden, on firearms restrictions. He noted she supported a more assertive approach to using executive power, and she backed a mandatory buyback of AR-15s.
You can listen to the show on your favorite podcasting app or by clicking here. Video of the episode is available on our YouTube channel.
Plus, Contributing Writer Jake Fogleman and I talk about Kamala Harris’ new role at the top of the Democratic ticket. We also cover the latest political fundraising totals of the major gun groups and what they say about the relative stature of gun rights and gun control organizations. Finally, we wrap up with a rundown of the latest public remarks from the NRA’s new executive vice president, a federal judge’s decision to block the ATF’s ban on Forced Reset Triggers, and a novel AI-based gun detection technology set to make its debut in the New York subway system.
Federal Judge Strikes Down New Jersey AR-15 Ban, Upholds Magazine Restrictions
By Stephen Gutowski
The Garden State’s ban on AR-15 rifles is unconstitutional.
That’s the finding District Court Judge Peter Sheridan handed down on Tuesday. He ruled the state’s ban on the popular rifles is incompatible with the Second Amendment under the Supreme Court’s most recent precedents. However, he found the opposite was true of the state’s ban on possession of “Large Capacity Magazines (LCMs)” capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition.
“The AR-15 Provision of the Assault Fireanns Law is unconstitutional under Bruen and Heller as to the Colt AR-15 for use of self-defense within the home,” Judge Sheridan wrote in Cheeseman v. Platkin. “In contrast, the LCM Amendment is constitutional under these same decisions.”
Analysis: What the New Massachusetts Gun-Control Law Does [Member Exclusive]
By Jake Fogleman
After more than a year of effort and two failed prior attempts, Bay State lawmakers officially got a Bruen-response bill enacted into law this week.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed H.4885 into law on Thursday. The signing ceremony was the culmination of several months of negotiations between gun-control advocates in the state’s House and Senate after previous bills died in the legislature.
Clocking in at 116 pages in length, there are few realms of firearms regulation that the measure doesn’t touch. Here’s a look at what some of the most significant changes in H.4885 will mean for Massachusetts gun owners.
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Outside The Reload
Everytown for Gun Safety pledges $45 million for election | Washington Post | By Michael Scherer
Giffords unveils $15M campaign to help Harris, other Democrats | The Hill | By Lauren Irwin
After New York Trial, What’s Next in the Effort to Reform the NRA? | Bearing Arms | By Cam Edwards
Massachusetts leaders brace for NRA challenge to gun law | Axios | By Steph Solis
That’s it for this week in guns.
I’ll see you all next week.
Thanks,
Stephen Gutowski
Founder
The Reload
