From WNYC Studios, I'm Brian Lerer. This is my daily politics podcast. It's Wednesday, January 10th. Brian Lairer on WNYC, like with Donald Trump, could the influence of the National Rifle Association be curbed in court because of corrupt activities rather than just in the political sector?

A civil corruption trial of the National Rifle Association's top executives began on Monday in New York.

Attorney General Leticia James has accused top NRA leaders of misusing

more than $64 million in cash donated by its members. The lawsuit claims the funds were used

to pay for private jets, vacations, and to fund no-show jobs for friends and allies, according

to reporting from NPR, citing the charge.

Wayne LaPierre, the longtime leader of the NRA, is one of the high-profile defendants in the case.

He announced his resignation from the NRA just last Friday in advance of the beginning of the trial.

Over the next six weeks or so, Justice Joel Cohn of the Supreme Court

of the state of New York and a jury

will decide the fate of the NRA,

the nation's largest gun rights group.

Joining me now to discuss the suit

and its national implications

is Stephen Kodowski,

founder of the Reload and Independent Publication,

focused on firearms policy and politics.

Stephen, thanks for joining us today. Welcome to WN.R.C.

Hey, thank you for having me.

You write, the civil suit from New York Attorney General Letitia James

alleges misappropriation of funds on a grand scale by the group's leadership.

What does A.G. James want if she proves her case?

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