Wayne LaPierre steps down as head of NRA after lengthy tenure

Wayne LaPierre is stepping down as head of the National Rifle Association after a decadeslong tenure marked by tense battles over gun control laws and internal battles over the organization’s management.

Mr. LaPierre, 74, will exit on the cusp of a New York trial that accuses him of misusing NRA funds for lavish trips and other personal expenses.

But an NRA statement said Mr. LaPierre cited health issues as the reason for his departure as CEO and that he remains committed to the NRA’s mission as the leading lobby for American firearm owners.

“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,” Mr. LaPierre said. “My passion for our cause burns as deeply as ever.”

NRA President Charles Cotton said at a meeting of the board of directors in Irving, Texas, that he accepted Mr. LaPierre’s resignation.

Andrew Arulanandam, the NRA’s executive and head of general operations, will serve as interim CEO.

Mr. LaPierre led the NRA since 1991. He steered it through decades of fierce battles in Congress and the states over gun control laws, particularly after the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut.

He pushed for trained and armed personnel in schools instead of gun restrictions after the tragedy, famously saying: “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun, is a good guy with a gun.”

Mr. LaPierre also lobbied hard for “constitutional carry” laws, which allow persons who can legally own a firearm to carry their handguns without a state license or permit. Today, a majority of U.S. states allow for constitutional carry.

He also oversaw an expansion of NRA membership and advocated for stand-your-ground laws.

“Wayne has done as much to protect Second Amendment freedom as anyone, ” Mr. 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.”

Yet Mr. LaPierre faced legal headwinds in New York, where state Attorney General Letitia James filed a suit in 2020 accusing him and other NRA leaders of diverting organization funds for lavish trips and other personal luxuries.

She said the defendants used the organization and its donors as “a breeding ground for personal gain and to live a lavish lifestyle.”

The New York trial against Mr. LaPierre and the NRA begins on Monday, prompting gun-control advocates to say Mr. LaPierre is leaving an organization in decline.

“The NRA has been in a doom spiral for years, and Wayne LaPierre’s resignation is yet another massive setback for an organization that’s already at rock bottom,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “LaPierre’s legacy will be one of corruption, mismanagement, and the untold destruction gun violence has brought to every American community.”

In its statement, the NRA said the lawsuit was politically motivated and pointed to an early victory against Ms. James’ efforts to dissolve the organization last year.

“Since then, the NRA maintains that it is committed to good governance,” the NRA said. “With respect to the NYAG’s allegations, the NRA Board of Directors reports it has undertaken significant efforts to perform a self-evaluation, recommended termination of disgraced ’insiders’ and vendors who allegedly abused the Association, and accepted reimbursement, with interest, for alleged excess benefit transactions from LaPierre, as reported in public tax filings.”