NRA leader Wayne LaPierre fends off backlash to keep CEO job

Wayne LaPierre[1], the fiery public face of the National Rifle Association[2] for decades, fended off a backlash inside the organization over its finances and direction, winning re-election Monday as the gun lobby's CEO.The move, announced on the NRA magazine's American Rifleman website, came during a closed-door meeting of the group's board of directors.It was unclear if the debate that has roiled the 5-million-member organization in recent weeks would still lead to significant changes in its operations. Board members did not immediately return messages for comment; their phones had been confiscated before entering the meeting room.The board also elected a slate of leaders, including Carolyn Meadows as president. She bypassed the person who traditionally would have been next in line to become president. For the past two decades, the NRA has faced criticism from among its ranks that its leaders had become corrupted by the millions of dollars flowing into its coffers. The criticism has included allegations of self-dealing and excessive personal spending. Now the pressure has increased, with New York's attorney general opening an investigation that could threaten the group's tax-exempt status.The NRA's charter was originally filed in New York, giving authorities there broad latitude to investigate its operations. Newly elected New York Attorney General Letitia James has made no bones about her dislike of the NRA, calling it a "terrorist organization.""I never thought this thing would ever get to the level it got," Joel Friedman, an NRA board member since 2002, told The Associated Press before the 76-member board met to decide whether organizational changes were needed to stave off punitive action by New York authorities.Just last year, an investigation by the previous New York attorney general led President Donald Trump[3]'s charitable foundation to dissolve amid allegations it was operating as an extension of Trump's business empire and

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