On Tuesday, Judge Harlin Hale of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Dallas dismissed the NRA’s attempts to file bankruptcy. Judge Hale wrote in his decision: “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.” Thoughts. Prayers. 

This is a huge blow to the leadership squad of the Second Amendment organization and more directly to Wayne LaPierre, who was hoping that in moving his bankruptcy case to Texas and restarting the organization there, he would be able to get out from under the myriad investigations the NRA is under in New York. The bankruptcy filing was considered a last-ditch effort—and a risky one by many legal experts—by LaPierre to maintain his dictatorial control over the Second Amendment organization.

One of the many reasons why LaPierre’s play for bankruptcy was questionable was the fact that LaPierre wrote to NRA members that the filing was an attempt to get out from litigation, saying it was “DUMPING New York” to get out of its “toxic” political environment. According to The Wall Street Journal, while Hale did not prohibit the NRA from attempting to file for bankruptcy again, he did say that a second filing would compel him to appoint a trustee to oversee the group. This is something LaPierre has been trying to get around as he struggles to hold onto control during the last couple of years of litigation. 

Shortly after the ruling, New York Attorney General Letita James tweeted: “The @NRA does not get to dictate if and where it will answer for its actions, and our case will continue in New York court. No one is above the law.”

Every few weeks, the New York investigations and lawsuits yield new stories of lavish spending by LaPierre. The receipts from luxury homes, fancy travel, and clothing have all been filed in New York courtrooms, and LaPierre and his faction of the NRA had hoped that this bankruptcy move could free them from further public examinations of their mismanagement skills. The bankruptcy trial included some of the details of LaPierre’s personal exploitation of the nicer things money has to offer, including a luxury yacht and travel on the NRA’s dime.