Oliver North said Saturday he will not serve a second term as president of the National Rifle Association, in a surprise move after a bitter fight with Wayne LaPierre,…
Oliver North said Saturday he will not serve a second term as president of the National Rifle Association, in a surprise move after a bitter fight with Wayne LaPierre, the chief executive and longtime public face of the gun rights organization.
North’s announcement came after LaPierre charged that North, a controversial figure in the 1980s Iran-Contra scandal, was trying to drive him out of the organization.
North’s decision not to run for re-election came in a letter from North that was read to the group’s convention in Indianapolis by Richard Childress, the NRA’s second vice president.
« I’ve been on the NRA board for more than two decades, » said North, a former lieutenant colonel in the U. S. Marines. « It was a great privilege to serve as your president this past year, an honor second to only serving our country as a U. S. Marine in combat.
« So if you ever need me in the future, just call me. I will come. Semper Fi. »
North, 75, was finishing out his first year as president this week. NRA presidents normally serve two consecutive terms in the unpaid position.
« I hoped to be with you today as NRA president, endorsed for re-election. I’m now informed that will not happen,” North said.
He said that after he assumed office in September, he was confronted by NRA members and board members who expressed concern over how much money the NRA was paying to a law firm.
« We were rebuffed repeatedly, » he said of attempts to address the situation, then pointed to recent media reports of financial mismanagement among NRA leaders. “If true, the NRA’s nonprofit status is threatened.”
Other financial issues: NRA says it faces financial crisis, claims it might be ‘unable to exist’ in future
In a memo to the board this week calling for an emergency management committee, North said the NRA faces a « clear crisis that needs to be dealt with immediately and responsibly so the NRA can continue to focus on protecting our 2nd Amendment.
