The chief executive of the US gun lobby group the National Rifle Association (NRA) has resigned, the organisation has said.
Wayne LaPierre, 74, will step down as of 31 January after leading the NRA for more than three decades.
His resignation comes days before a New York civil trial, in which he and other senior leaders are accused of misusing NRA funds.
In a statement, Mr LaPierre said he remains a champion of the NRA.
“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.”
Mr LaPierre has cited health reasons as being behind his decision to resign, the NRA said in a statement.
His resignation comes as a New York civil trial is set to commence on Monday, in which it is alleged that he and three other current and former NRA leaders violated the state’s non-profit laws.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought the lawsuit in 2020, also accused the leaders of misusing millions of dollars of funds to pay for lavish personal expenses.
The trial is expected to last six weeks, and will be decided by a six-member jury.
In its statement announcing Mr Lapierre’s resignation, the NRA said it will continues its defence of the lawsuit.
They have previously described it as a “baseless, premeditated attack.”
The NRA is one of the most powerful political organisations in the US, known for its heavy lobbying against all forms of gun control.
The organisation also has also argued repeatedly that more guns make the country safer.
It relies on, and staunchly defends, a disputed interpretation of the Second Amendment to the US Constitution, which it argues gives US citizens the right to bear arms.
It directly funds US politicians and lawmakers who support its aims.
Mr Lapierre has led the organisation since 1991. In a statement, NRA President Charles Cotton said that the leader “has done as much to protect Second Amendment freedom as anyone”.
He added that Mr Lapierre is a “towering figure in the fight for constitutional freedom” who helped build the NRA.
The organisation said that Andrew Arulanandam, the NRA’s head of general operations, will become the interim chief executive and executive vice-president.
By BBC News
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