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Wayne LaPierre announced that he is resigning as head of the National Rifle Association and will formally step down on January 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."
His surprise resignation comes just a few days before the start of a civil trial in New York, accusing LaPierre and three other NRA executives of violating non-profit laws and diverting NRA funds to line their own pockets.
New York Attorney General Letitia James filed the lawsuit in 2020, accusing executives at the non-profit organization of creating "a culture of self-dealing, mismanagement, and negligent oversight."
James, who previously called the NRA a "terrorist organization," tried to have the non-profit dissolved. Those efforts were shut down in 2022 by a state court that determined the allegations justified "less intrusive relief."
The NRA said the 74-year-old cited health reasons for his decision to step down.
NRA Head of General Operations Andrew Arulanandam will take over as interim CEO & EVP of the organization.
"I have enormous confidence in our board of directors, executive leadership team, and my long-time colleague Andrew Arulanandam. Andrew knows every facet of this organization and has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with me in every arena imaginable. Andrew knows how to help the NRA win – he's been one of the key authors of our playbook for decades," LaPierre said.