Players, coaches and staff kneel during the national anthem before the game between the Houston Rockets and the Portland Trail Blazers at The Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex at Lake Buena Vista, Florida, August 04. Kevin C. Cox/Pool Photo via USA TODAY Sports

The National Rifle Association is fighting back against a lawsuit filed Thursday by New York’s attorney general by submitting its own civil suit against the state official, accusing her of defamation and violating its rights to free speech. The NRA’s lawsuit was filed in the federal court of New York and alleges Attorney General Letitia James “made the political prosecution of the NRA a central campaign theme” when she was running for the AG’s office in 2018, and has not treated the association fairly since, FOX NEWS reported. The defamation allegations stem from James' public descriptions of the NRA as a "criminal enterprise" and "a terrorist organization.

An attendee sites down a semiautomatic rifle at the NRA annual meeting, in Indianapolis, Indiana, April 28, 2019. REUTERS/Bryan Woolston

Gun enthusiasts poses for a picture with an FN MK 48 machine gun and a MK 19 grenade launcher at the NRA annual meetings and exhibits show in Louisville, Kentucky, May 21, 2016. REUTERS/John Sommers II

Arkansas police on replacing 7-yr-old’s stolen bike

A man looks through the sights of a .50 caliber rifle at the Ohio Ordinance Works during the National Rifle Association (NRA) annual meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana, April 28, 2019. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

WARNING: GRAPGIC CONTENT! The Sheboygan County district attorney has determined that the use of deadly force was reasonable and no charges will be filed in the officer-involved death of Kevan Ruffin Jr. on July 2. On Wednesday, Aug. 5, body camera video from the 45-second interaction was released by the state DOJ. Minutes before the officer fired near 15th Street and Illinois Avenue on that Thursday morning, a woman called 911 to report a man with two knives had attacked her. (Read the Full Story.) #shooting

Meanwhile, in Russia

A young girl, who is already an NRA lifetime member, gets her photo taken holding a rifle painted pink and white in the trade booths during the National Rifle Association's annual meeting in Nashville, Tennessee April 11, 2015. REUTERS/Harrison McClary

A girl attempts to balance a semi automatic .50 caliber rifle made by Barrett Firearms Manufacturing at the annual NRA meeting in Dallas, Texas, May 4, 2018. REUTERS/Adrees Latif

ALBANY, New York -- A video of Albany city police and Albany county sheriff’s deputies rescuing young children from a flood on Central Avenue in Albany went viral Tuesday after Hassib Tleiji posted the 22-second clip to Facebook.

Union member Erik Ramos wears a mask as he supports grocery workers protesting against Kroger, the parent company of Food 4 Less, to demand that safety measures get enforced inside stores during the coronavirus outbreak, in Los Angeles, California, REUTERS/Mike Blake

A man looks through a .50 caliber rifle during the annual NRA convention in Dallas, Texas, May 6, 2018. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

A woman models a pair of Body Shaping Thigh Holster Shorts by Dene Adams during the "Fashion & Firearms" concealed carry fashion show at the NRA annual meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana, April 27, 2019. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Tina Marie Mendieta and her daughter Sofia Mendieta pose for a picture while holding pink handguns during the National Rifle Association's 139th annual meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina May 15, 2010. REUTERS/Chris Keane