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4 NRA board members resigned within 2 weeks amid the organization's ongoing leadership turmoil

Michelle Mark   

4 NRA board members resigned within 2 weeks amid the organization's ongoing leadership turmoil
Politics3 min read

NRA

  • Four members of the National Rifle Association's board of directors have resigned in recent days, as the organization endures infighting and controversy over its leadership and finances.
  • Julie Golob, a professional sport shooter, announced in a statement Monday that she would not complete the full three-year term she had committed to.
  • Three others resigned August 1, writing in a letter that their confidence in the NRA's leadership was "shattered."
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Another member of the National Rifle Association's board of directors resigned Monday, becoming the fourth to do so in less than two weeks as the gun-rights group endures an internal crisis over its leadership and finances.

Julie Golob, a professional sport shooter, announced in a statement Monday that she would not complete the full three-year term she had committed to. She did not explain why she was resigning.

"I am proud to have had the opportunity to represent the members of the National Rifle Association but I can no longer commit to fulfilling the duties of a director," she wrote. "This was not a decision I made lightly."

Golob's resignation comes on the heels of three other board members who questioned allegations of excessive spending by the organization's chief executive Wayne LaPierre.

Esther Schneider of Texas, Sean Maloney of Ohio, and Timothy Knight of Tennessee said they were removed from their committee assignments after raising their concerns, according to The Washington Post, which obtained their joint letter to NRA officials on August 1.

Read more: Republicans are spooked that the NRA's collapse could jeopardize the GOP's prospects in 2020

"While our belief in the NRA's mission remains as strong today as ever, our confidence in the NRA's leadership has been shattered," the letter said.

FILE PHOTO: Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president and CEO of the National Rifle Association (NRA) speaks at the NRA annual meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S., April 26, 2019. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Concerns over finances and conflicts of interest

NRA president Carolyn Meadows told INSIDER in a statement that the organization appreciated Golob's service on the board.

"We are pleased to see that Julie, a gifted shooter, will continue to support the NRA's programs and we proudly welcome her ongoing support of our organization," Meadows said.

The organization has been wracked by months of infighting and controversy, prompting the ouster of former NRA president Oliver North in April.

Read more: The NRA issued a statement supporting Trump's call to focus on mental illness to reduce gun violence after the shootings in El Paso and Dayton

nra oliver north

North had reportedly questioned LaPierre over expensing hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of clothes, a car and driver, and rent for a summer intern, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

Additionally, more than a dozen of the organization's 76 board of directors members received NRA money in recent years, according to a recent Washington Post investigation. The revelation sparked concerns about potential conflicts of interest.

Prosecutors in New York and Washington, D.C., have also launched investigations into the organization's finances.

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