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Oliver North speaks at the Leadership Forum of the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Friday.
Michael Conroy / AP
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Michael Conroy / AP
Oliver North speaks at the Leadership Forum of the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Friday.
Michael Conroy / AP
Oliver North, leader of the National Rifle Association, announced on Saturday that he would not be seeking a second term as president of the gun rights group, as is customary.
His action is a de facto resignation from the organization after more than two decades on the board of directors.
North's decision to withdraw from the organization comes amidst infighting within the group and follows a number of New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times detailing allegations of financial mismanagement by senior NRA officials.
"The current situation," writes North in a letter to NRA members, means that her "non-profit status is under threat."
The announcement shocked the hundreds of ANR members and donors gathered Saturday at the annual meeting of the ANR in Indianapolis – the news was greeted with absolute silence.
North – who is perhaps best known for his role in the Reagan Iran-Contra affair – was to join the meeting himself, but his president on stage was empty.
"Please, know that I hoped to be with you today as President of the NRA, that his reelection be approved," writes North in a letter, read to High voice to NRA members by First Vice President of the NRA, Richard Childress. "I am now informed that this will not happen."
North said that there was a "clear crisis" within the organization that "must be handled immediately and responsibly so that the NRA can continue to focus on protecting the second amendment".
North said he was approached by NRA general manager Wayne LaPierre in the spring of 2018, asking him to retire from his position at Fox News to become president of the gun rights group.
North stated that he had accepted a salaried position with Ackerman McQueen, one of NRA's most prominent external contractors, as part of this agreement. Presidents of NRAs generally do not receive a salary from the organization.
He stated that after taking office as president in September 2018, he had been "confronted by members of the ANR Board of Directors and donors" about the price that the association was paying for an outside law firm. His attempts to solve the problem, he said, were "postponed several times". He also stated that prior to his departure he had set up a "crisis committee" to deal with the allegations.
The NRA recently filed a lawsuit against Ackerman McQueen, who for decades served as an outside group to shape the NRA's message. The prosecution alleges that the firm refused to comply with requests for proof of billing. In a statement to the the Wall Street newspaper, the firm said the lawsuit was "frivolous, inaccurate and intended to damage the reputation of our company".
The NRA was plunged into internal turmoil at a vulnerable moment. In the mid-term elections of 2018, gun control groups spent more than their spending. Public financial information suggests that fundraising is lagging behind and the organization is running a deficit. Congressional investigators were keen to investigate the donors of the organization.
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