The National Rifle Association, a leading US gun-rights advocacy group, has filed for bankruptcy protection, as part of a bid for the troubled organization to restructure and move to Texas.
The group said it expects no changes to its operations. The NRA said it was exiting the “corrupt political and regulatory environment” in New York, where it is currently based.
The NRA is facing legal headwinds in New York, including action by the state’s attorney general, Letitia James, who last year filed a petition trying to dissolve the gun group, which has been around for a century-and-a-half.
James accused the NRA of misusing donor funds and fraud, among other allegations.
In a statement after the gun group announced the filing, James said she would review the documents but “will not allow the NRA to use this or any other tactic to evade accountability and my office’s oversight.”
There have been dogged reports that the NRA is facing financial troubles, in part over its legal issues. The group was notably less visible in the last election cycle.
NRA chief Wayne LaPierre, one of the officials accused of misusing funds, insisted in a letter to members that the organization’s financial situation was good.
“We are as financially strong as we have been in years,” LaPierre said.
With Democrats now set to control both chambers of Congress and the White House, some gun groups are concerned about potential restrictive moves by lawmakers.
The US Constitution gives people the right to own weapons, though lawmakers can place some limits – the extent of which is regularly debated, including through court battles.