Governor, Secretary of State Petition NRA to Relocate to Wyoming

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Gov. Mark Gordon and Secretary of State Edward Buchanan of Wyoming issued a letter to National Rifle Association Director Brian Gosch, inviting the organization to relocate to their state.

Currently headquartered in Fairfax, Va., the NRA was founded in 1871 and operates as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization. In January, the NRA announced that it and one of its subsidiaries had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas in Dallas and that the organization would reincorporate in Texas.

Despite the announcement stating it would reincorporate, the NRA has made no official announcement stating it will relocate from its Fairfax headquarters.

“Wyoming is a strong supporter of Second Amendment rights and we appreciate the NRA’s efforts to protect our rights,” Gordon and Buchanan said in the letter. “To that end, we are writing to invite you to explore relocation of your Virginia operations to Wyoming. We have no corporate tax, no personal income tax, no franchise tax and no gross receipts tax, which is why Wyoming is ranked first by the Tax Foundation in their 2021 State Business Tax Climate Index.”

The NRA’s bankruptcy announcement came after a civil lawsuit was filed against the organization by New York Attorney General Letitia James alleging the financial misconduct, fraud, and misuse of charitable funds by some of the organization’s executives, including CEO and EVP Wayne LaPierre.

In May, Northern District of Texas Bankruptcy Judge Harlin Hale dismissed the bankruptcy petition, declaring the NRA’s reincorporation in the state was done in bad faith. In his ruling, Hale doubted the NRA’s supposed “financial difficulties” and asserted that the bankruptcy filing’s purpose was “to avoid dissolution that is being sought as a remedy in a state regulatory action.”

The Wyoming executive’s letter continued, “Additionally, we have permitless carry, the castle doctrine, anti-financial discrimination laws, permitless purchase and possession for rifles, shotguns and handguns, no requirements and several other pro-second amendment laws on the books. Obviously, Wyoming is serious about protecting the second amendment. We welcome the opportunity to discuss this wonderful possibility with you further. We would love to have the NRA call Wyoming home.”