US appeals court orders dismissal of NRA lawsuit against New York official

FILE PHOTO: NRA annual convention in Dallas

NEW YORK (Reuters) -A federal appeals court on Thursday ordered the dismissal of the National Rifle Association’s lawsuit accusing a New York state official of violating its free speech rights by coercing banks and insurers to avoid doing business with the gun rights group.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan said Maria Vullo, a former superintendent of New York’s Department of Financial Services, had qualified immunity against the NRA’s claims under the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York)