The National Rifle Association may have put an end to their Carry Guard insurance program, but the state of New York isn’t letting them slide over what the state claims were illegal practices.

Of course, this is the same state that’s actively trying to shut down the entire organization now, but this was before that.

Now, the NRA and the state of New York have reached a settlement.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) has agreed to halt insurance business in New York for five years and will pay a $2.5 million fine over charges related to that work.

New York’s Department of Financial Services announced the settlement Wednesday with the NRA, the nation’s top gun rights advocacy group after state Attorney General Letitia James (D) sued to break up the group over corruption claims this summer.

The fine will settle charges that the group allegedly offered insurance to its members despite not having a license to do so and often withheld information on how it kept some premiums for its own benefit.

The agreement resolved charges related to the NRA’s relationship with insurance broker Lockton Cos, which sold over 28,000 NRA-endorsed policies. Among the plans offered was the “Carry Guard” program, which state officials said illegally offered people coverage to assist with criminal defense expenses and the “intentional” use of firearms should they shoot their weapons.

So what does this really mean? Is this the NRA rolling over? More importantly, is it suggestive that they will capitulate to further demands by the state of New York?

Not really.

Look, right now, the NRA is in the fight of its life. It can’t afford to be too distracted with numerous cases. By settling this one, they can move forward. With the NRA’s pockets, $2.5 million is little more than a slap on the wrist, so it’s not crippling enough to distract them from the effort by the New York Attorney General to shut down the entire organization.

Instead, attorneys and funds can be freed up to focus on that particular avenue of attack, one that poses a far more deadly risk to the organization.

Further, there’s nothing in this that really suggests the NRA admitted to any wrongdoing, at least from what I can see.

Now that this is over, they can focus on the bigger picture. We’re looking at Joe Biden in the White House, Democrats still (barely) controlling the House, and a potentially split Senate. They’re going to need all their attention to battle for gun rights in Congress while also staying alive in the face of a clearly politically-motivated onslaught by the state of New York.

When this was hanging over their heads, it was just another distraction, something that diverted resources away from the coming fight. Now, it’s over, as it should be.

Of course, I fail to see how anyone can look at the actions from New York and not see a malicious attack on a political opponent. That’s all any of these were and we can all see it.