The National Rifle Association filed a lawsuit accusing its longtime advertising firm of orchestrating a failed executive coup at the gun-rights group and leaking details about lavish expenses, as part of an alleged attempt to “tarnish and ultimately destroy the public image of the NRA and its senior leadership.”
The lawsuit against Ackerman McQueen Inc., filed Wednesday in a local court in Alexandria, Va., is the latest salvo in a battle between the NRA and the ad firm. In a separate action last month, the NRA had sued Ackerman and claimed the agency had failed to provide records justifying its bills. Ackerman has called that suit frivolous and inaccurate.
The rancor between the NRA and Ackerman, a key partner of the gun-rights group for more than 30 years, caused strife at the NRA’s annual meeting last month. At the meeting, then-NRA president Oliver North left the organization after he called for the board to investigate claims that NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre had charged more than $500,000 in wardrobe and travel expenses to the advertising firm.
The NRA, in the new lawsuit, claims the “executive coup” attempt was part of a conspiracy led by Ackerman McQueen to derail the NRA’s own inquiry into the ad firm’s business and accounting practices.
An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com.
Also popular on WSJ.com:
Reddit co-founded Alex Ohanian warns always-on work culture creating ‘broken’ people.
Qualcomm’s practices violate antitrust law, judge rules.
Add Comment