The City of Los Angles tried to penalize any contractor with ties to the NRA. The NRA sued over the ordinance and a judge ruled that was an unconstitutional violation of the NRA’s First Amendment rights. The city eventually repealed it and now the city has been ordered to pay the NRA’s legal fees totaling about $150,000.
“In this case, the text of the Ordinance, the Ordinance’s legislative history, and the concurrent public statements made by the Ordinance’s primary legislative sponsor evince a strong intent to suppress the speech of the NRA,” [Judge Stephen] Wilson ruled in December. “Even though the Ordinance only forces disclosure of activity that may not be expressive, the clear purpose of the disclosure is to undermine the NRA’s explicitly political speech.”
The NRA filed suit against the ordinance shortly after it was implemented in April 2019. Amy Hunter, a spokeswoman for the NRA, told the Washington Free Beacon the rulings prove the city unfairly targeted the group because of its advocacy.
“Violations of any constitutional rights by government officials should carry consequences,” she said. “The courts have rightfully imposed those consequences upon Los Angeles. The NRA will continue our fight and, as always, work to hold politicians accountable.”
– Stephen Gutowski in L.A. Ordered to Pay NRA Six Figures After Losing First Amendment Case