Wayne LaPierre, the longtime leader of the National Rifle Association, announced his resignation as chief executive on Friday, days before a corruption trial involving the gun rights group begins in a Manhattan courtroom.
“With pride in all that we have accomplished, I am announcing my resignation from the NRA," LaPierre said in a statement released by the NRA.
According to the NRA, the 74-year-old LaPierre cited health reasons for his decision to step down. He has served as the NRA’s chief executive since 1991.
“I’ve been a card-carrying member of this organization for most of my adult life, and I will never stop supporting the NRA and its fight to defend Second Amendment freedom. My passion for our cause burns as deeply as ever.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James sued the NRA in August 2020, saying it diverted millions of dollars to fund luxuries for top officials, including travel expenses for LaPierre to several resorts.
Progun people have argued for years that Wayne was siphoning funds for his own gain and that the board (which is supposed to reflect its members) was cooking the vote process so that Wayne would remain in charge. Real firearms activists tried to get seats on the board and were shut out in favor of cronies. Reference the saga of trying to get Adam Kraut on the board, from several years ago.
The NRA has been reduced to a sacrificial distraction dummy for years. While antigunners have directed their ire at NRA, there are much better groups such as GoA, FPC, and SAF quietly doing the real work to restore and protect our rights.