Scandal-ridden NRA head digs in against gun control
Despite calls for his departure, LaPierre stands firm.
In the aftermath of the back-to-back shooting massacres in Texas and Ohio, the debate over gun control has returned to the National Rifle Association and its immense power to stymie any signifi- cant legislation on the issue.
The man largely responsible for the NRA’s uncompromising stance is its decades- long CEO, Wayne LaPierre, who has been engulfed in tur- moil and legal issues as he orchestrates the group’s latest effort to push back against gun control measures.
Law enforcement author- ities are investigating the NRA’s finances, and it has ousted top offic ials and traded lawsuits with the long- time marketing firm credited with helping to shape LaPi- erre’s and the NRA’s image.
LaPierre’s seven-figure salary, penchant for luxury clothing shopping sprees and reports that he sought to have the NRA buy him a $6 million mansion at an exclusive golf community have drawn considerable scrutiny amid allegations of rampant misspending.
Ardent gun rights supporters have recently turned on LaPierre, taking to social media with the hashtags #changethenra and #savethe2a. Some call for his resignation and question how he can turn the tide against the push for more robust gun control measures after the Dayton and El Paso, Texas, rampages, given all the scan- dals.
“They’ve done so much damage to their reputation that the effectiveness of any NRA statements in really sway- i ng o pin- ion has to be consid- ered dimin- ished,” said Rob Pincus, a longtime NRA mem- ber a n d firearms instructor who is among the leaders of a group formed to change the NRA that has called for LaPierre’s resignation. “Anything that gets said by Wayne LaPierre is going to be followed by ‘amidst turmoil over $300,000 in suits and a $6 million mansion they were going to buy him,’ and all these other allegations that are out there.”
After the mass shootings the NRA’s lead spokesman said it would not “partic- ipate in politicizing these tragedies” and remained committed to the “safe and lawful use of firearms by those exercising their Sec- ond Amendment freedoms.”
Behind the scenes, however, there’s evidence of LaPi- erre’s pull. The Washington Post reported that LaPierre warned President Donald Trump after he expressed support for a background check bill that such a move would be unpopular among Trump’s supporters, according to officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the talks.
LaPierre, who rarely speaks to mainstream media, declined requests to be inter- viewed. In a written statement, he said none of the gun control proposals being dis- cussed would have prevented the most recent attacks.
“Worse, they would make millions of law abiding Amer- icans less safe and less able to defend themselves and their loved ones,” the statement said. He described many of the proposals as “soundbite solutions” that “fail to address the root of the problem, confront criminal behavior or make our communities safer.”
LaPierre’s public persona is as the hard-fisted leader of the NRA, the public face of the Second Amendment with his bombastic defense of guns, freedom and country.
Behind the scenes, however, the 69-year-old CEO’s current and former associates see a different man.
The LaPierre they know is an introvert who rarely roams the halls of NRA headquarters to interact with staffers. He’s not even considered a serious “gunner.”
In fact, LaPierre’s early career included working for Democratic lawmakers in Virginia. He’s said to have been in line to work for liberal icon and then-Democratic House leader Tip O’Neill until the NRA came calling in 1977.
LaPierre went on to become a powerful leader, surviving several internal NRA political skirmishes that lately have been worthy of a “Game of Thrones” subplot.
He also successfully navigated the Washington political landscape and helped create a culture in which Republicans don’t dare touch gun-control measures, even after massacres of children.
He’s credited with working to end the decade-long ban on assault weapons that expired in 2004, and more recently, the NRA spent $30 million to help elect Trump.
Tom King, a longtime NRA board member, said LaPierre deserves that loyalty. The criticisms lodged against LaPierre, he said, have been fueled by anti-gun advocates and taken out of context.
“He’s not going to give up. He’s going to fight to the bitter end. And anybody who says differently doesn’t know the man,” King said.