Wayne LaPierre was re-elected on Monday as the National Rifle Association's CEO, following a tense week for the organization.
The 76-member board of directors re-elected LaPierre during a private meeting where phones were confiscated at the door. Last week, LaPierre accused the NRA's outgoing president, Oliver North, of attempting to oust him by threatening to reveal damaging information about the NRA's finances and sexual harassment accusations against a staffer. North has ties to the NRA's public relations firm, Ackerman McQueen, which is now being sued by the group. North announced on Saturday he would not be seeking a second term, and on Monday, Carolyn Meadows was elected president.
The NRA started with a focus on gun safety and hunting, but with help from Ackerman McQueen, it has morphed into an organization more concerned with conservative political issues. The PR firm is responsible for NRATV, which parrots conservative talking points and airs a segment called American Heroes, starring North. The NRA lost $64 million in 2016 and 2017, The Associated Press reports, and in the lawsuit against Ackerman McQueen, the group says some members believe NRATV's topics are "far afield of the Second Amendment."
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In recent weeks, there have been several reports about turmoil inside the NRA. Members have been asking for more information on how the NRA is spending its money, while lower-ranking staffers, who need to work second jobs to pay their bills, have been discussing the divide between well-compensated leaders and the average employee.
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