Cuomo Calling On Governors To Block NRA’s Carry Guard Program

Governor Andrew Cuomo has sent a letter calling on other governors to follow New York's lead and block the sale of the NRA's "Carry Guard" program.

The program provides liability insurance to gun owners for certain acts of intentional wrongdoing.

Cuomo issued the letter as part of a national effort to block the program after a State investigation found that the program was illegal under New York State law, leading to penalties against insurance companies involved.

On Friday, New York State filed a motion to dismiss an NRA lawsuit against New York that suggested the State's actions were a threat to "the NRA's corporate existence and its advocacy mission."

Here's the full text of the letter:

Dear Governors,

The scourge of gun violence is a national crisis that demands leadership and action, and yet Washington has completely abdicated its responsibility and handed the reins over to the National Rifle Association. As Governors, we have no greater obligation than to protect public safety and ensure that our laws are being faithfully executed. If the federal government will not do its duty to protect the American people, then the states must lead.

I write to inform you of one action that New York has recently taken to uphold our laws and stand up to the gun-peddling agenda of the NRA. We discovered that the NRA was marketing insurance products for gun owners that violated numerous state laws. Insurers such as Chubb Ltd. and a broker Lockton Affinity, LLC. were providing illegal insurance coverage to gun owners for intentional criminal conduct resulting in bodily harm through the NRA's Carry Guard program.

In New York, we refuse to be beholden to the NRA or allow such a reckless and illegal program that puts lives at risk. Too many lives have been lost to guns in this country, including those lost in more than 200 mass shootings this year alone, to let the NRA continue to market illegal products that promote violence. Upon discovering the breach of our laws, we issued civil violations that immediately ended the sale of these unlawful products.

Shockingly, we have discovered that this product is being sold in other states across the country. I urge you to examine your laws and determine whether or not this product is being illegally sold in your state, and I encourage you to follow New York's lead and block the sale of these NRA products if they are illegal, or to outlaw these products if they are not already prohibited. New York will provide support and assistance to ensure that the NRA's Carry Guard program is not illegally sold in your state. New York State Financial Services Superintendent Maria T. Vullo will reach out to her counterparts in your states to discuss the issue and offer any assistance.

New York is standing up to the gun lobby to protect the lives and liberty of our citizens. But we cannot do it alone and our laws are only as strong as the ones in the states surrounding us. I urge governors across the state to take action and end the sale and marketing of the NRA's Carry Guard program in their states for the good of their citizens and the entire nation.

 Sincerely,

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo