Wayne LaPierre, head of the National Rifle Association (NRA), has announced his resignation/Joe Raedle/Getty Images
2024.01.06 Sat posted at 10:55 JST
(CNN) Wayne LaPierre, head of the US gun lobby National Rifle Association (NRA), announced his resignation on the 5th, just days before the start of his civil trial. LaPierre is known as an ardent supporter of the Second Amendment, which gives people the right to own guns, and has defended gun owners and manufacturers.
LaPierre will step down as vice chairman and CEO on January 31, the NRA said in a statement.
Andrew Arulanandam, an NRA executive with overall management responsibility, will serve as interim CEO and vice chairman.
“It is with great pride in everything we have accomplished that I announce my resignation,” LaPierre said in a statement from the NRA. “I have been an official member of this organization for almost my entire adult life, and I will never stop supporting the NRA and fighting for the Second Amendment,” he said.
According to the NRA, LaPierre cited health reasons. NRA Chairman Charles Cotton reportedly accepted LaPierre’s resignation.
New York Attorney General James filed a lawsuit in 2020 seeking to dissolve the NRA, alleging violations of nonprofit laws, tax evasion, and misappropriation of millions of dollars.
A spokesperson for the state attorney general’s office confirmed to CNN that there is no change to the trial scheduled to begin on the 8th in a New York state court. LaPierre is taking part in jury selection this week, and the trial is expected to last six to eight weeks.
During its first 100 years, the NRA remained largely nonpartisan and supported some gun control measures. But in the 1970s, he began lobbying against federal gun control. He gained a strong following among conservatives, especially the Republican Party.
Although stagnant as an organization, the NRA’s power remains within the Republican Party, with Republican leadership almost completely aligned with the NRA.
2024-01-06 01:55:00
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