The National Rifle Association (NRA) is taking on New York Governor Cuomo and other high-ranking government officials in New York. In a lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York, the NRA accuses Cuomo and other officials of pressuring private companies, both publicly and behind closed doors, to dissolve their relationships with or otherwise distance themselves from the NRA. The NRA contends that the defendants, through use of their considerable political power, targeted companies affiliated with the NRA by engaging in selective prosecutions and public threats, the goal of which was to effectively ostracize the NRA. In just one of several examples, the NRA alleges that one of the named defendants, the New York State Department of Financial Services (“DFS”) which is headed by Maria Vullo (also a named defendant), has been afforded tremendous power since the banking crisis in 2008, power that has been improperly employed to target the NRA. According to the NRA, DFS has commenced investigations into insurers affiliated with the NRA, while failing to investigate insurers providing similar or identical services whom are not affiliated with the NRA.
None of the defendants have filed a response to the lawsuit. However, the NRA is keeping its foot on the gas pedal and has asked the Court to permit expedited discovery, including the deposition of Maria Vullo, which the Court has slated for a hearing on July 11, 2018.
A copy of the Complaint is accessible on our website, as well as the NRA’s Order to Show Cause requesting expedited discovery (available here). We will continue to monitor the progress of this lawsuit.
