30 years at the top of the NRA
Top US gun lobbyist Wayne LaPierre resigns
January 5, 2024, 9:57 p.m
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The gun association NRA is politically influential, but is run under the banner of a non-profit US organization. Wayne LaPierre is said to have violated the requirements for the use of funds for years. He resigns from his leadership position – and puts the brakes on a lawsuit against him.
The top gun lobbyist in the USA, Wayne LaPierre, is stepping down from office at the end of the month after a good 30 years at the head of the influential NRA association. The decision was for health reasons, but he would continue to passionately support the NRA in “its fight to defend freedom,” said the 74-year-old. The outgoing chairman of the National Rifle Association (NRA) will have to appear in court next week along with three other NRA officials.
In the state of New York, the local attorney general, Letitia James, had already brought charges against her in 2020. LaPierre is accused, among other things, of embezzling funds for luxury trips. The NRA has non-profit status in the USA and is therefore subject to special requirements for the use of donations, charity and accounting. It is considered a very conservative organization with very great political influence. LaPierre has led the NRA since 1991.
LaPierre played a leading role in transforming America’s gun culture, but the last half-decade of his tenure at the NRA was marked by scandals and internal upheaval. Still, the gun rights movement became a bastion of conservative politics in the LaPierre years. A temporary ban on assault weapons was put into effect early in his term; Today, such measures are no longer an issue for Republicans, despite a large number of mass shootings.
This development changes the upcoming trial as prosecutors sought to oust LaPierre from his position. However, fines are still pending against LaPierre and three other defendants. James celebrated his resignation as a partial success. “The end of the Wayne LaPierre era at the NRA is an important victory in our case,” she said. “The resignation confirms our allegations against him, but it will not shield him from accountability.”