In the aftermath of the back-to-back massacres in Texas and Ohio, the debate over gun control has returned to the National Rifle Association and its immense power to stymie any significant legislation on the issue.
The man largely responsible for the NRA’s uncompromising stance is its decadeslong CEO, Wayne LaPierre, who has been engulfed in turmoil and legal issues as he orchestrates the group’s latest effort to push back against gun-control measures.
Law enforcement authorities are investigating the NRA’s finances, and the gun group has ousted top officials and traded lawsuits with the longtime marketing firm credited with helping to shape LaPierre’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.
FILE – In this Dec. 21, 2012, file photo, activist Medea Benjamin, of Code Pink, is led away by security as she protests during a statement by National Rifle Association executive vice president Wayne LaPierre, left, during a news conference in response to the Connecticut school shooting in Washington. In the latest national furor over mass killings, the tremendous political power of the NRA is likely to stymie any major changes to gun laws. The man behind the organization is LaPierre, the public face of the Second Amendment with his bombastic defense of guns, freedom and country in the aftermath of every mass shooting. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci, File)Ardent gun-rights supporters have turned on LaPierre in recent months, taking to Twitter and Facebook with the hashtags #changethenra and #savethe2a. Some are calling for his resignation and questioning how he can turn the tide against the push for more robust gun- control measures after the Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas, rampages, given all the scandals.