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NRA chief Wayne LaPierre resigns days before civil corruption trial

Wayne LaPierre
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Wayne LaPierre, the executive vice president of the National Rifle Association, has announced he is resigning from the organization days before the start of a civil corruption trial.

LaPierre cited health reasons, according to the NRA. The resignation will be effective Jan. 31.

"With pride in all that we have accomplished, I am announcing my resignation from the NRA," LaPierre said in a statement. "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 said he had accepted LaPierre's resignation during a board meeting on Friday.

The civil trial, slated to start Monday, will still go forward.

New York Attorney General Letitia James accused LaPierre of gross negligence for allegedly diverting millions from the NRA for personal use, including for designer clothes, private planes and luxury goods. The accusations came at the end of three-year investigation into the NRA in August 2020.

"The NRA's influence has been so powerful that the organization went unchecked for decades while top executives funneled millions into their own pockets," James said at the time. "The NRA is fraught with fraud and abuse, which is why, today, we seek to dissolve the NRA, because no organization is above the law."

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.