Longtime National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre announced his resignation on Friday, just days before his civil corruption trial in New York is set to start.
“With pride in all that we have accomplished, I am announcing my resignation from the NRA,” LaPierre said in the organization’s press release. “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.”
NRA president Charles Cotton accepted his resignation, which will take effect January 31. In the same announcement, NRA executive and head of general operations Andrew Arulanandam was named interim CEO and executive vice president of the NRA.
“On behalf of the NRA Board of Directors, I thank Wayne LaPierre for his service. Wayne has done as much to protect Second Amendment freedom as anyone,” Cotton said. “Wayne is a towering figure in the fight for constitutional freedom, but one of his other talents is equally important: he built an organization that is bigger than him. Under the direction of Andrew Arulanandam, the NRA will continue to thrive – with a renewed energy in our business operations and grassroots advocacy. Our future is bright and secure.”
LaPierre, 74, has served as NRA CEO for more than 30 years. He cited health concerns as the reason for the unexpected departure, which was announced before his corruption trial starts Monday. Democratic New York attorney general Letitia James, who is currently leading a fraud case against former president Donald Trump, sued LaPierre and three other current and former NRA leaders in 2020 for allegedly violating state and federal laws by diverting millions of dollars in NRA funds to their own pockets. The trial will last for six weeks.
“The NRA continues its defense of a lawsuit by the New York Attorney General, and LaPierre is an individual defendant in that action. It is well-known that the NYAG vowed to pursue the NRA when she was candidate for her office and, upon being elected, filed a lawsuit to dissolve the Association in August 2020,” the NRA’s press release states.
Before assuming office in 2019, James vowed to investigate the NRA and called the group a “terrorist organization.” The goal of her case against LaPierre and NRA leadership is to determine whether the group should keep its charitable status, as part of a larger plan to combat gun violence.
LaPierre started working for the NRA in 1977, before rising the ranks to CEO and executive vice president in 1991. In his 33 years as the NRA chief, LaPierre championed constitutional-carry laws and made the NRA the powerful lobbying organization that it is today.
“I am proud of the NRA’s advocacy in New York and, through it all, determination to defend the Second Amendment,” said LaPierre. “I can assure you the NRA’s mission, programming, and fight for freedom have never been more secure.”