Opinion by Willes K. Lee, Second Vice President of the National Rifle Association
New York – -(AmmoLand.com)- When there is no media coverage of a huge NRA win, then you know it is a big win. You may not know Arthur R. Miller, but EVERY lawyer you know knows him, or of him.
As a candidate for NY Attorney General in 2018, Letitia James (then, the NY Public Advocate) pledged to investigate the NRA, an organization she called an “organ of deadly propaganda masquerading as a charity for public good.” Yup, that’s how she described you and your NRA.
According to a New York Daily News article, James stated, “The NRA has an office here in New York State and what we want to do is investigate to see whether or not they have in fact complied with the not-for-profit law in the state of New York.” Then, James later declared the 148-year-old civil rights group was a “terrorist organization.”
Since the launch of the investigation into the NRA by now-AG James, the NRA has faced an opponent camouflaged as an independent regulator. Her office sued former NRA vendor Ackerman-McQueen, to force AckMac to breech their contract terms with NRA. Here’s the deal: the NRA contends that it has the right to review potentially privileged information in Ackerman’s documents (by contract, NRA docs) before they go to the NYAG.
It is not a question of whether James can access NRA-related documents. She can. It’s a dispute about whether she (or any other tyrannical government office) can do so secretly, to purposely circumvent the NRA’s legal rights — including the right to protect our members’ personal information from a political witch hunt.
In weighs famed legal scholar Arthur R. Miller (a guy whose books are required reading for anyone in law school).
His affidavit last week attached below, in support of NRA, notes that the NYAG’s actions are not only unprecedented but dangerous. His position is such big legal news that it immediately hit the front page of The New York Law Journal.
It is not altruistic. Miller’s clear warning is that this government overreach can be similarly weaponized against liberal organizations. That the NYAG actions are so egregious to cause Miller to formally opine, is huge. On the heels of the ACLU joining with NRA in our First Amendment case against NY Gov Cuomo, another (left-side) legal icon joins NRA against NYAG.
Our outside lawyer, William Brewer, best sums these developments: “Secret, sweeping subpoenas targeting the Attorney General’s political enemies are the hallmark of a police state, not a free society,” he says. “The NRA stands against such abuses. It’s no surprise that one of the preeminent scholars of American law stands with us.”
To follow the cases, hit www.nralegalfacts.org.
Join the fight. Join NRA. The NRA will stand and fight for our members and for our freedoms. Every. Single. Time.
Legal scholar Arthur R. Miller’s affidavit in support of NRA
LtCol (ret) Willes K. Lee
LtCol (ret) Willes K. Lee is Second Vice President of the National Rifle Association of America and serves as Chairman of the Outreach, Military and Veterans’ Affairs, and Education and Training Committees. He is a Life member of NRA, Second Amendment Foundation and recipient of their 2017 Defender of Liberty award, and Gun Owners of America. Col Lee is a combat veteran, graduate of West Point, a 22-year Ranger and Airborne qualified Armor officer. He holds an Engineering Degree from USMA and a Master’s Degree of Public Administration.
Follow him at www.Facebook.com/ WillesLeeNRA and on Instagram and Twitter. His full bio and blog are at www.WillesLee.com.