Wayne LaPierre told board members on Friday that he will step down as chief executive of the National Rifle Association just days before his civil trial begins in New York.
His resignation will take effect on Jan. 31, and Andrew Arulanandam, an NRA executive and longtime spokesman for LaPierre, will serve as the interim CEO and executive vice president, the organization said.
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In his resignation, LaPierre “cited health reasons” to the NRA as an explanation for his departure, according to Fox News Digital. NRA President Charles Cotton accepted LaPierre’s resignation during a board meeting on Friday.
“With pride in all that we have accomplished, I am announcing my resignation from the NRA,” LaPierre said in a statement.
“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,” LaPierre said.
LaPierre has led the prominent firearm organization for more than 30 years, holding on to his role as tensions in the nation have risen over gun violence.
LaPierre has been at the center of corruption and mismanagement allegations since New York’s attorney general, Letitia James, filed a lawsuit to dissolve the group in 2020. James accused leaders of misusing millions of dollars and failing to abide by state and federal laws.
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“The NRA’s influence has been so powerful that the organization went unchecked for decades while top executives funneled millions into their own pockets,” James said in August 2020. “The NRA is fraught with fraud and abuse, which is why, today, we seek to dissolve the NRA, because no organization is above the law.”
The NRA called the lawsuit a “baseless premeditated attack on our organization and the Second Amendment freedoms it fights to defend.” While the NRA has been legally battling the case for years, jury selection has already started, and opening statements are scheduled for early next week
Original Location: Wayne LaPierre resigns as NRA leader days before his civil corruption trial starts
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