Judge rejects NRA bid to dismiss or move lawsuit by New York attorney general

A New York state judge on Thursday rejected the National Rifle Association's bid to dismiss or move a lawsuit by New York Attorney General Letitia James seeking its dissolution. Justice Joel Cohen of Manhattan Supreme Court ruled six days after the gun rights group filed for bankruptcy protection and said it planned to reincorporate in the more gun-friendly Texas, after 150 years in New York.

A New York state judge on Thursday rejected the National Rifle Association's bid to dismiss or move a lawsuit by New York Attorney General Letitia James seeking its dissolution.

Justice Joel Cohen of Manhattan Supreme Court ruled six days after the gun rights group filed for bankruptcy protection and said it planned to reincorporate in the more gun-friendly Texas, after 150 years in New York. The judge rejected the NRA's argument that the case could be transferred to a federal court in Albany, the state capital, where the organization filed a countersuit accusing James of violating its members' First Amendment rights.

James sued the NRA, Chief Executive Wayne LaPierre and others last August, accusing the advocacy group of diverting millions of dollars to fund luxurious trips for its officials, no-show contracts for associates, and other suspect expenses. "This is a case of historic constitutional importance," NRA lawyer Sarah Rogers argued prior to Cohen's ruling.