TLG Managing Partner Jeff Tenenbaum Quoted in Associated Press Article About Judge’s Ruling Following Conclusion of NRA Trial

TLG Managing Partner Jeff Tenenbaum was quoted in an Associated Press article about Judge Cohen’s ruling following the conclusion of the National Rifle Association (NRA) trial in New York City in a lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James (the NRA is a New York not-for-profit corporation). “Earlier this month, Jeffrey Tenenbaum, a lawyer testifying for the state as an expert in nonprofit law, said the NRA had made some strides toward transparency but could backslide without the appointment of an independent monitor. He described the organization’s policy manual as ‘a dumpster fire.’” As the New York AG’s lead expert witness, Jeff testified about the NRA’s governance policies and practices in Phase II of the trial in July, with both Attorney General James and former NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre in the courtroom. He previously testified in January 2024 in Phase I of the trial, following which the jury returned a favorable verdict for the Attorney General. The case has been ongoing for four years.

Following the end of Phase II of the trial, Judge Cohen issued his ruling from the bench. While deciding against imposing an outside monitor on the NRA, the judge echoed many of Jeff’s recommendations from his expert witness testimony and reports. According to the New York Times, “Justice Joel M. Cohen of Manhattan Supreme Court said he wanted further assurances that the N.R.A. would reform its governance practices. He directed the organization and the office of Attorney General Letitia James of New York, which brought the case, to negotiate the details of a series of reform measures that he largely laid out. The measures are aimed at breaking up the cronyism that has kept a small group of allies of Wayne LaPierre, the former chief executive, largely in control. The judge told the two sides to discuss how to make it easier for candidates to get onto the group’s 76-member governing board and to explore shrinking the board to a more manageable size. He also wants to purge the association’s audit committee of longstanding members and make official a number of other administrative changes that the N.R.A. had previously suggested but not implemented. Justice Cohen barred Mr. LaPierre from serving as an officer or director of the N.R.A. for the next decade, saying he was seeking a ‘clear break from past practices.’ A 10-year gap would give the organization time to ‘chart a course well distanced from the one created by this litigation,’ the judge said.”