Thread by @igorvolsky

1/ I just read through Judge Harlin Hale's decision dismissing @NRA's bankruptcy case and it truly exposes the gun lobby's cynical efforts to avoid accountability and run away to Texas.

Follow along in this 🧵 if you're interested! #NRABankruptcyTrial

@NRA 2/ To offer some context:

In Aug, @NewYorkStateAG filed suit to dissolve @NRA given its abuse of state laws governing how non-profit tax-exempt organizations can operate

@NRA responded to @NewYorkStateAG’s lawsuit by filing for bankruptcy in Jan & suing the AG in Feb.

@NRA @NewYorkStateAG 3/ But the problem is, as Judge Harlin Hale explains, @NRA's explanation as to *why* it was filing for bankruptcy really evolved over time...

@NRA @NewYorkStateAG 4/ In January, @NRA informed the court that it was filing for bankruptcy because

(1) the cost of ongoing litigation (2) the need for a breathing spell and to centralize litigation, (3) desire to emerge from bankruptcy as a company domiciled in Texas

@NRA @NewYorkStateAG 5/ The @NRA's lawyer even argued that “absent being able to streamline discovery and have all of this litigation, or much of it, handled in a centralized forum, *the NRA was indeed facing the adage, death by a thousand cuts.”*

@NRA @NewYorkStateAG 6/ But then @NRA's stated reasons for filing for bankruptcy began to change.... (and did they think nobody would notice....I honestly don't even understand because this all seems so messy, as you will see....)

@NRA @NewYorkStateAG 7/ As Judge Harlin Hale points out in his decision, far from facing "death by a thousand cuts," @NRA "has consistently represented to the Court and to its members, the NRA is in its strongest financial condition in years and intends to pay creditors all allowed claims in full."

@NRA @NewYorkStateAG 8/ When he was on the stand, LaPierre himself acknowledged that "if the NRA’s bankruptcy case is dismissed, the NRA would be able to pay its debts in full and meet its obligations."

(The Witness in the exchange below is LaPierre)

@NRA @NewYorkStateAG 9/ Based on all this, Judge Harlin Hale concluded that "the primary purpose of the bankruptcy filing was to avoid potential dissolution" as a result of @NewYorkStateAG's case

(LaPierre himself admitted that absent this, it would not have been necessary to file for bankruptcy)

@NRA @NewYorkStateAG 10/ From the Judge: "the Court believes the NRA’s purpose in filing bankruptcy is less like a traditional bankruptcy case in which a debtor is faced with financial difficulties...and more like cases in which courts have found bankruptcy was filed to... avoid a regulatory scheme."

@NRA @NewYorkStateAG 11/ "The Court finds, based on the totality of the circumstances, that the NRA’s bankruptcy petition was not filed in good faith but instead was filed as an effort to gain an unfair litigation advantage in the NYAG Enforcement Action and as an effort to avoid a regulatory scheme"

@NRA @NewYorkStateAG 12/ I don't understand how @NRA thought it could get away w/ saying one thing to the court initially (back in January) -- that it was facing "death by a thousand cuts" -- but publicly proclaim that it's in great financial health AND put up witnesses that substantiated the claim

@NRA @NewYorkStateAG 13/13 Ultimately, #NRABankruptcyTrial only *reinforced* and *substantiated* @NewYorkStateAG's case against the lobby (by further exposing and highlighting its corruption)...and now that they don't have the bankruptcy escape route, they're in some real trouble.