NRA Elects Its New Leader

(LibertyInsider.org) – The National Rifle Association (NRA) has been embroiled in a scandal. Its president, Wayne LaPierre, and former chief financial officer/treasurer, Wilson Phillips, were recently found liable for corruption and financial misconduct. Their actions cost the organization more than $5 million. In January, LaPierre announced he was resigning, leaving the leadership role open. Now, the NRA has elected a new president and CEO.

Former Rep. Bob Barr (R-GA) was elected on Monday, May 20, beating out Owen Mills 37 to 30. Mills was a critic of the former leadership. In addition to costing the NRA $5.4 million, LaPierre was also in charge when it was spending “hundreds of millions in legal fees,” per former official Joshua Powell. In 2021, $52 million went to legal fees alone — 21% of the organization’s spending. That leaves Barr in a precarious position because he has to help boost the organization’s image and its coffers.

"Today, the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association of America elected former U.S. Congressman Bob Barr as President of the NRA and Doug Hamlin as NRA Executive Vice President & CEO."

Read more:https://t.co/QeCdxKfaHu

— American Rifleman (@NRA_Rifleman) May 21, 2024

When the allegations of fraud began surfacing, hundreds of thousands of members left the group. That led to program cuts, which led to more members departing. It was a vicious cycle for the NRA. Membership peaked in 2018, but the organization has since lost around one million members, leading to record lows in revenue generation. According to The Daily Beast, an evaluation of its tax filings showed that the NRA was in the midst of a “swift and dramatic” collapse as of last December.

In a statement, Barr said he has “been a fighter [his] whole life” and will “commit to boldly fight” for Americans’ Second Amendment rights. The former politician — he served in the House for 8 years — noted that one of the first priorities needs to be increasing the membership base.

The NRA also elected Doug Hamlin as its executive vice president and CEO. He will be LaPierre’s direct replacement.