A Manhattan judge on Thursday denied a series of motions from the National Rifle Association and its top executives to dismiss or move New York Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit to dissolve the gun-rights advocacy group, finding that James can continue to pursue her allegations that its leaders misused tens of millions of dollars in charitable funds.

“There are, in my opinion, basic questions of federalism,” New York County Supreme Court, Commercial Division Justice Joel Cohen said in a ruling from the bench. “The attorney general is the chief law enforcement officer of the state of New York. She is enforcing a New York state statute against a not-for-profit company and its officers, organized under the laws of the state of New York … I think it would be inappropriate under the circumstances to find that the attorney general cannot pursue her claims in state court just because one of the defendants would prefer to proceed in federal court.”