Wayne LaPierre is stepping down
The Wayne LaPierre Trial: Finding the Way for Second Amendment Protections in the Era of the National Rifle Association and Implications for the NRA
The long-time leader of the nation’s most powerful gun rights group is leaving his job just a few days before a trial over allegations of corruption and mismanagement.
During his time at the helm of the NRA, LaPierre moved the organization to the right, taking a hard-line stance against gun regulation even as mass shootings and gun violence surged in the U.S. Firearms are now a leading cause of death for young Americans.
I’ve been a card carrying member of the organization for most of my adult life, and I will never stop supporting the fight to defend Second Amendment freedom. My passion for our cause burns as deeply as ever.”
The New York Attorney General claimed that the end of the Wayne LaPierre era was an important victory and vowed to continue the case against the gun rights lobby.
The trial is expected to start on Monday. James’s lawsuit aims to ban LaPierre and the other executives from serving in leadership positions of any not-for-profit or charitable organization conducting business in New York.
LaPierre was the leader in expanding the influence of the NRA as a lobbyist and political force. He enlisted famous people to make powerful emotional arguments that limits on gun ownership and sales amounted to an unconstitutional violation of Second Amendment rights.
He set the tone upon taking control of the NRA leadership in 1991, warning that “jack-booted government thugs” were coming after the guns of law-abiding Americans under the guise of controlling gun violence. He criticized those in favor of gun control measures as opportunists who exploit tragedy for their own gain.
The recent financial troubles and the questions about LaPierre’s leadership and spending have been very damaging to the organization. As concerns about the direction of the organization grew, some longstanding rank-and-file members were left out.
The group’s financial woes forced it to cut back on many popular programs including educational outreach, initiatives with law enforcement and support for shooting sports events.
An effort to declare bankruptcy failed by the NRA. A federal bankruptcy judge dismissed the case, ruling that the gun rights group had not filed it in good faith.
Kris Brown, head of the Brady gun control advocacy organization, stated in a statement on Friday that the National Rifle Association is in crisis because of its legal troubles.
The NRA, meanwhile, has portrayed this lawsuit as a political effort by a Democratic state attorney general to weaken the once-powerful gun organization.
Powell was the chief of staff to Wayne LaPierre and the head of operations until recently, when he became a critic of the organization and wrote a book in 2020.
The suit claims LaPierre and others used the money to pay for private jets, extravagant vacations, and no-show jobs. The trial of four remaining defendants is expected to proceed as planned, despite Powell being named as one of five defendants.
A former top executive at the National Rifle Association, Joshua Powell, has admitted wrongdoing and agreed to pay $100,000 on the eve of a civil corruption trial of the organization’s top executives set to begin on Monday.
