Days before his civil trial in New York began, Wayne LaPierre announced his resignation on Friday as the head of the National Rifle Association, capping his long reign over the well-known gun rights organization.
Executive vice president of the group LaPierre announced his resignation, saying he would “never stop supporting the NRA and its fight to defend Second Amendment freedom” and that he has been a “card-carrying member” of the organization for the most of his adult life.
“My commitment to our cause is stronger than ever,” LaPierre stated in a statement.
The 74-year-old gave health-related reasons for his retirement, which will become effective on January 31, according to Fox News Digital, the outlet that broke the story first.
Over three decades, he has served as the NRA’s head.
LaPierre and three other current and past NRA executives are defending themselves against a 2020 lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James, which claims they broke nonprofit regulations and embezzled millions of dollars from the organization to support their own opulent lifestyles.
As the jury selection process came to a close on Friday afternoon, LaPierre announced his retirement.
James hailed his departure as “a significant triumph.”
She stated in a statement, “LaPierre’s resignation validates our claims against him, but it will not insulate him from accountability.” “We are excited to make our case in court.”
According to the lawsuit, LaPierre took millions of dollars out of the group’s charity endeavors to utilize for his own purposes, including vacations to the Bahamas, private security, fancy meals, and private aircraft.
According to the attorney general, LaPierre flew to the Bahamas with his family and used more than $500,000 in NRA funds for that purpose. The lawsuit claims that between May 2015 and April 2019, the NRA spent more than $1 million on private aircraft on which LaPierre was not a passenger.
