NRA v. Ackerman, Virginia

Ackerman’s Memorandum in Support of Motion to Compel the NRA to Answer Interrogatories

January 23, 2020

Filing Summary

Ackerman asks the Court to order the NRA to provide more information during the discovery process, including more detailed answers to pre-trial interrogatories. While the PDF is large (due to exhibits), the relevant section is page 1-20.

Key Points

  • Of note, at page 1, Ackerman writes that the NRA has placed “Josh Powell, the Chief of Staff & Senior Strategist” of the NRA “on leave by the NRA pending an investigation by NRA counsel.”  No further details are provided, but recall it has been publicly reported that the NRA “grappled with two separate sexual harassment allegations against Josh Powell.”
  • Ackerman also makes the point, at page 3-5, that the only information Wayne LaPierre testified having knowledge about concerning leaks from Ackerman McQueen – when he authorized the filing of a lawsuit about the purported leaks – was a seemingly bizarre  “second hand claim that an [Ackerman] employee told a reporter that his niece had put crayon marks on the wall of the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills.” 
    • The filing includes a transcript of the relevant part of LaPierre’s deposition.
  • At page 13, Ackerman takes issue with the NRA’s refusal to produce documents surrounding its “compliance with New York’s Non-for-Profit Corporation Law” and argues Ackerman “is entitled to test the NRA’s assertions that these laws were the sole cause of the requests for additional information.”
  • Please note this filing contains a number of exhibits that could be of interest:
    • A (p.21-63):  NRA’s Interrogatory Responses, 7/12/2019
    • B (p.65-71):  Ackerman’s Objections to NRA Interrogatory Responses, 8/23/2019
    • C (p.73-134 ): NRA’s Interrogatory Responses, 8/20/2019