Dallas – The National Rifle Association, whose image has been tarnished by its former leader Wayne LaPierre's excessive spendingon Monday elected Doug Hamlin as executive vice president and CEO.
“Our association is at a defining moment in our history, and America's future and constitutional freedoms depend on the NRA's success,” said Hamlin, who recently served as executive director of the NRA's publications. Hamlin said in a statement that he looks forward to working with staff to “advance political and public policies that are in the best interests of our members and all gun owners.”
The gun rights lobby group's board of directors has elected former Republican Congressman Bob Barr of Georgia as its new president.
“I have been a fighter my entire life, and I am committed to courageously fighting for our Second Amendment rights on behalf of the millions of NRA members,” Barr said in a statement. “We our ranks must growespecially in this election year, and I promise to focus my attention on that.”
Former President Trump addressed the group on Saturday and received the organization's support in this year's presidential election. About 72,000 people attended the 153rd annual meetings and exhibitions, the association said.
LaPierre was held liable in February during a civil trial in New York for unlawfully using millions of dollars of the organization's money to pay for an extravagant lifestyle, including exotic getaways and travel on private planes and superyachts. LaPierre resigned as executive vice president and CEO on the eve of the trial.
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The jury ordered LaPierre to pay nearly $4.4 million in restitution to the NRA, while the organization's retired chief financial officer, Wilson Phillips, was owed $2 million. The lobbying group failed to properly manage its assets, omitted or misrepresented information on its tax returns and violated whistleblower protections under New York law, jurors found.
After reporting a $36 million deficit in 2018, largely caused by misspending, the NRA cut back on longstanding programs that had been core to its mission, including training and education, recreational shooting and law enforcement initiatives.
The LaPierre trial put a spotlight on the leadership, culture and finances of the more than 150-year-old organization, which has exerted a powerful influence on federal legislation and presidential elections.
John Feinblatt, the president of Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that advocates for stricter gun control, called Hamlin “a longtime insider” in a statement, adding that “the NRA's chaotic power struggles and financial doom spiral show no signs of stopping.” shows.'
