Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton slammed Attorney General Letitia James in New York for trying to dissolve the National Rifle Association and welcome the organization into his state, saying that “in Texas we care about what the founders put in the Constitution.”
Paxton made the remark Sunday on “Fox & Friends Weekend,” three days after James announced that her office had filed a lawsuit against the National Rifle Association and its leadership, including Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre.
On Sunday, Paxton said he “absolutely” welcomes the NRA to come to Texas because “they have done a great job over the years in defending the Second Amendment.”
“I can tell you one thing in Texas that we care, and I think we will always care, is God and guns,” he said, declaring that the First Amendment protects free speech and religious expression and the Second Amendment the right protects people from having their own guns.
James accused the NRA of having “a culture of self-treatment,” taking millions of dollars for personal use and awarding contracts that benefited family and fellow leaders.
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In addition to asking the organization to dissolve, the office of James LaPierre and Attorney General John Frazer is trying to remove them from their positions, and a statement from the court saying “that directors as members in control of the NRA have looted or looted the NRA’s charitable assets, have used the corporation solely for their personal benefit, or have otherwise acted in an illegal, oppressive or fraudulent manner[.]”
Host Griff Jenkins said: “Many NRA members have been wondering for years why the NRA set its charter in New York to start exposing.”
He then asked Paxton, “Would they have better protection? Would there be anything to benefit them legally in Texas?”
‘I think it’s a little late now, but we would definitely invite them to come to Texas to avoid this in the future, because when they’re in New York, it opens them up for investigation by the Bureau of Investigation. Attorney General in a way I do not think would happen in Texas, so I encourage them to relocate as soon as possible, ”Paxton said.
Jenkins then asked Paxton if he thought “there is a chance” that James “wins this?”
“We do not yet know all the facts,” Paxton said, adding that his “problem” is with how the situation is handled, noting that the lawsuit was “filed for election” with a “major press conference.”
“It looks extremely political,” Paxton said.
“If you want to do this research, do it calmly,” he said. “When you announce something, you announce it after the election, but what does it look like – and she [James] claims to be a terrorist organization – this is similar to a terrorist operation that goes against the NRA in an attempt to make it political as opposed to a legitimate investigation. ”
“I think it really hurts the credibility of the New York office when they did it this way,” Paxton said.
NRA President Carolyn Meadows called the lawsuit “a baseless, premeditated attack”, claiming that it targeted not only the NRA but the constitutional rights it defends. She also noted the timing of the trial and said it was “a transparent attempt to score political points.”
“You could set your watch by doing so: the investigation would reach its crescendo as we move into the 2020 election cycle,” Meadows said in a statement. “It is a transparent attempt to score political points and attack the leading voice as opposed to the left-wing agenda. This has been a coup by a political opportunist – a desperate movement that is part of a rank political vendetta. Us members will not be intimidated or harassed in their defense of political and constitutional freedom. “
Meadows added that the NRA “will not shrink from this fight – we will confront and prevent it.”
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To that end, the NRA represented James, seeking a statement from the court stating that it was pursuing a law without undesirable law, claiming that The New York Attorney General was targeting the organization for its political positions, and violating his liberties.
Fox News’ Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report.
