(Reuters) - Retired U.S. Marine Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North will step down as president of the National Rifle Association, North said on Saturday, adding he was being forced out due to his allegations that NRA leaders engaged in financial improprieties.

In a letter to the organization’s annual meeting in Indianapolis read by an NRA board member, North, a conservative commentator best known for his central role in the 1980s Iran-Contra affair, said he had hoped to stand for re-election when his term ends on Monday.

“I am now informed that will not happen,” North said in the letter.

His departure came after NRA Chief Executive Wayne LaPierre accused North of trying to oust him by threatening to release “damaging” information about him, according to a letter from LaPierre to NRA board members that was published by the Wall Street Journal on Friday.

NRA officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

North, 75, who was named by the NRA as its president in May 2018, was a pivotal figure in the Iran-Contra affair involving secret sales of arms to Iran by Republican President Ronald Reagan’s administration and the unlawful diversion of the proceeds to Nicaraguan rebels.

When he was appointed, LaPierre hailed him as “a legendary warrior for American freedom, a gifted communicator and skilled leader.”

North, long a hero to some on the political right, was convicted in 1989 of three felonies related to the Iran-Contra affair, but his convictions were overturned on appeal in 1990.

He later became a conservative radio talk show host and frequent commentator on conservative television networks.

On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the NRA’s annual meeting and vowed to revoke the United States’ status as a signatory of the Arms Trade Treaty.</s>Retired U.S. Marine Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North will step down as president of the National Rifle Association, North said on Saturday, adding he was being forced out due to his allegations that NRA leaders engaged in financial improprieties.

In a letter to the organization's annual meeting in Indianapolis read by an NRA board member, North, a conservative commentator best known for his central role in the 1980s Iran-Contra affair, said he had hoped to stand for re-election when his term ends on Monday.

"I am now informed that will not happen," North said in the letter.

His departure came after NRA Chief Executive Wayne LaPierre accused North of trying to oust him by threatening to release "damaging" information about him, according to a letter from LaPierre to NRA board members that was published by the Wall Street Journal on Friday.

NRA officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

North, 75, who was named by the NRA as its president in May 2018, was a pivotal figure in the Iran-Contra affair involving secret sales of arms to Iran by Republican President Ronald Reagan's administration and the unlawful diversion of the proceeds to Nicaraguan rebels.

When he was appointed, LaPierre hailed him as "a legendary warrior for American freedom, a gifted communicator and skilled leader."

North, long a hero to some on the political right, was convicted in 1989 of three felonies related to the Iran-Contra affair, but his convictions were overturned on appeal in 1990.

He later became a conservative radio talk show host and frequent commentator on conservative television networks.

On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the NRA's annual meeting and vowed to revoke the United States' status as a signatory of the Arms Trade Treaty.</s>The civil war threatening to rip apart the National Rifle Association spilled into public view today at the gun lobby group's annual meeting.

Reports of a clash between NRA president Oliver North and longtime NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre have been brewing for some time, with The New York Times reporting that a group of "insurgents" within the NRA were bent on overthrowing LaPierre on Friday.

But at the NRA's annual meeting on Saturday, it appeared clear that the NRA CEO had triumphed. North was conspicuously absent from the gathering, which featured speeches from US President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.

NRA board member Richard Childress read out a letter from North. The statement alleged that the NRA is in the midst of a "clear crisis" due to infighting and murky financial practices. The NRA president, perhaps best known for his role in the Iran Contra scandal, also announced that he will not serve a second term.

Read more: Bernie Sanders starts a fight with the NRA, says US should 'follow New Zealand's lead' and ban assault weapons

NPR reporter Tim Mak tweeted that the audience of NRA members remained "incredibly silent" as Childress read North's letter.

According to a report from the Washington Post, Oklahoma-based public relations firm Ackerman McQueen is at the center of the battle between North and LaPierre. The NRA sued its longtime ad agency in early April, alleging improper billing practices. Complicating matters, North reportedly has a contract with Ackerman McQueen.

Dana Loesch, the NRA's controversial spokeswoman, is also technically employed by Ackerman McQueen, according to The New Yorker. Loesch herself hasn't addressed any bad blood between the NRA and Ackerman McQueen, tweeting that "NRA members are not divided" on Friday.

Despite Loesch's assertions, things at the NRA heated up behind the scenes on Thursday, when LaPierre penned a letter to the NRA board, accusing North of extortion, according to the Wall Street Journal. The Journal had previously reported that North had previously told the board that the CEO dropped $200,000 on wardrobe purchases, only to charge the bill to a vendor.

Despite the increasingly public nature of the NRA's internal struggles, the gun lobby group continues to insist on social media that it's primary enemies are external, tweeting "Never in the history of the NRA have so many powerful forces attacked us on so many different fronts."</s>New York Attorney General Letitia James has launched an investigation into the National Rifle Association after reports surfaced of financial improprieties within the organization.

“The Office of New York State Attorney General Letitia James has launched an investigation related to the National Rifle Association (NRA). As part of this investigation, the Attorney General has issued subpoenas,” a spokesperson for the attorney general's office told NPR. According to NPR, the group received a document preservation notice in connection with the AG's investigation, and The New York Times reports that several businesses connected with the gun rights group also received subpoenas.

The announcement comes just hours after and the pro-gun group's president, Oliver North, announced that he has been ousted, and The Daily Beast exclusively reported that longtime NRA lawyer, Steve Hart, has been suspended.

North's ouster capped off days of vicious infighting within the organization, with chief executive Wayne LaPierre claiming earlier this week that North was trying to blackmail him into leaving.

North was also at the center of a lawsuit filed by NRA lawyers against the group's longtime ad agency, Ackerman McQueen, over promotional work that apparently failed to deliver. The lawsuit alleged that North double-dipped by taking a salary from both the NRA and Ackerman McQueen at the same time and failed to deliver on promised sponsorship deals, saying the group found “no evidence that any substantial sponsorships exist.”

After news broke Saturday of the attorney general's probe, an outside lawyer for the NRA said the group would cooperate.

“The NRA will fully cooperate with any inquiry into its finances,” outside counsel William A. Brewer III said in a statement, adding that the NRA is “prepared for this and has full confidence in its accounting practices.”</s>Oliver North says he will not serve a second term as president of the National Rifle Association

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Oliver North says he will not serve a second term as president of the National Rifle Association.</s>NEW YORK — New York state's attorney general, who promised during her campaign to investigating the National Rifle Association's nonprofit status, has begun an investigation into the finances of the gun owners' group, her spokeswoman said Saturday.

"The Office of New York State Attorney General Letitia James has launched an investigation related to the National Rifle Association (NRA)," spokeswoman Kelly Donnelly said in an email. "As part of this investigation, the Attorney General has issued subpoenas."

William A. Brewer, the NRA's outside lawyer, says the organization "will fully cooperate with any inquiry into its finances." He added, "The NRA is prepared for this, and has full confidence in its accounting practices and commitment to good governance."

James, a Democrat, had vowed during her campaign last year to investigate the NRA's not-for-profit status if elected.

"I will use the constitutional power as an attorney general to regulate charities, that includes the NRA, to investigate their legitimacy," she said at a July 12 rally.

News of the investigation came as a struggle for leadership of the NRA erupted at the gun lobby's annual convention in Indianapolis.

Iran-Contra figure Oliver North announced Saturday that he would not serve a second term as the NRA's president. The move followed North's failed attempt to remove longtime NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre.

The factional rift within the NRA was fueled in part by the threatened New York investigation. The group began a review of all its contractors last summer after James promised to investigate.

The review led the NRA to sue its longtime public relations firm, Oklahoma-based Ackerman McQueen, which some NRA officials complained was refusing to turn over financial records. North had taken the firm's side in the legal battle.

The NRA has clashed repeatedly with New York elected officials aiming to curb the organization's influence.

The group filed a lawsuit last year against Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other state officials after New York fined insurance broker Lockton Cos. LLC $7 million for underwriting an NRA-branded insurance program called Carry Guard.</s>NEW YORK (AP) — New York state's attorney general has begun an investigation into the National Rifle Association.

Kelly Donnelly, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Letitia James, said Saturday that James' office has issued subpoenas as part of an investigation related to the NRA.

William A. Brewer, the NRA's outside lawyer, says the NRA "will fully cooperate with any inquiry into its finances."

James, a Democrat, vowed during her campaign last year to investigate the NRA's not-for-profit status if elected.

The NRA has clashed repeatedly with New York elected officials aiming to curb the organization's influence.

The group filed a lawsuit last year against Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other state officials after New York fined insurance broker Lockton Cos. LLC $7 million for underwriting an NRA-branded insurance program called Carry Guard.</s>INDIANAPOLIS -- Oliver North announced Saturday that he would not serve a second term as National Rifle Association president, making it clear he had been forced out by the gun lobby's leadership after his own failed attempt to remove the NRA's longtime CEO in a burgeoning divide over the group's finances and media operations.

"Please know I hoped to be with you today as NRA president endorsed for reelection. I'm now informed that will not happen," North said in a statement that was read by Richard Childress, the NRA's first vice-president, to members at the group's annual convention.

North, whose one-year term ends Monday, did not show up for the meeting, and his spot on the stage was left empty, his nameplate still in its place. His statement was largely met with silence. Wayne LaPierre, whom North had tried to push out, later received two standing ovations.

It was a stunning conclusion to a battle between two conservative and Second Amendment titans -- North, the retired Marine lieutenant colonel with a ramrod demeanour who was at the centre of the Iran-Contra scandal of the 1980s, and LaPierre, who has been battle-tested in the decades since he took up the mantel of gun rights. He has fought back challenges that have arisen over the decades, seemingly emerging unscathed each time. In this latest effort, he pushed back against North, telling members of the NRA's board of directors that North had threatened to release "damaging" information about him to them and saying it amounted to an "extortion" attempt.

Hundreds of the NRA's estimated 5 million members packed into the convention centre in Indianapolis where the group's annual meetings were being held. Near the end of the two-hour meeting, some members challenged efforts to adjourn and pushed to question the board about controversies involving its financial management, the relationship with its longtime public relations firm and details of what North sought to raise about alleged misspending, sexual harassment and other mismanagement.

But those cries were drowned out as some board members urged such conversations not to be held at such a large public forum, even if the media were eventually discharged from the room.

"We don't want to give the other side any more information than they already have," said Tom King, a board member from New York for more than a decade.

Offered Marion Hammer, a former NRA president and longtime lobbyist from Florida: "The life's blood of this organization is on the line. We are under fire from without. We do not need to be under attack from within."

The internal dispute first spilled out in public after the NRA in recent weeks filed a lawsuit against Ackerman McQueen, the Oklahoma-based public relations firm that has earned tens of millions of dollars in the decades since it began shaping the gun lobby's fierce talking points. The NRA's lawsuit accuses Ackerman McQueen of refusing to hand over financial records to account for its billings.

North has a $1 million contract with Ackerman McQueen, raising alarm bells among some in the NRA about conflicts of interest. He has a show called "American Heroes," on NRATV, the online TV station created and operated by Ackerman McQueen. NRATV and Ackerman McQueen's billings are at the centre of the turmoil, with some members and board members questioning whether they were getting any value for the money devoted to that part of the operation. In 2017 alone, the NRA paid the firm $40 million.

NRATV's programming is provocative, often taking on topics far afield from gun rights, leading some members to wonder if it was damaging its efforts to further gun rights and bring in new members.

The NRA also has faced some financial and regulator struggles in recent years, and there remain concerns that New York authorities in particular -- the state where the NRA created its charter -- are looking to strip it of its non-profit status.

An outside lawyer for the NRA, William A. Brewer, said Saturday that New York's attorney general has opened an investigation into the organization.

In his statement, North said a committee should be set up to review the NRA's finances and operations.

"There is a clear crisis and it needs to be dealt with" if the NRA is to survive, he said.

Childress, who read North's statement, said he only found out the night before that he would be asked to read it. A message left with the Freedom Alliance, a non-profit group founded by North in the 1990s, seeking to contact North, was not immediately returned.

In his speech later Saturday, LaPierre stuck to standard NRA talking points, going after the mainstream media and lawmakers who seek to restrict gun rights. He told the crowd that efforts to strip away gun rights will fail.

"We won't accept it. We will resist it. We won't give an inch," he said.

North, 75, was a military aide to the National Security Council during the Reagan administration in the 1980s when he entered the spotlight for his role in arranging the secret sale of weapons to Iran and the diversion of the proceeds to the anti-communist Contra rebels in Nicaragua.

He was convicted in 1989 of obstructing Congress during its investigation, destroying government documents and accepting an illegal gratuity. Those convictions were overturned in 1991. Embraced by many on the right, he went on to run for office, write several books and serve as a commentator on Fox News.

Associated Press writer Denise Lavoie contributed to this report from Richmond, Va.</s>New York state’s attorney general has begun an investigation into the National Rifle Association.

William A. Brewer, the NRA’s outside lawyer, said Saturday that the organization had received notice of an investigation from Attorney General Letitia James’ office. Brewer said the NRA “will fully co-operate with any inquiry into its finances.”

James, a Democrat, vowed during her campaign last year to investigate the NRA’s not-for-profit status if elected.

The NRA has clashed repeatedly with New York elected officials aiming to curb the organization’s influence.

The group filed a lawsuit last year against Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other state officials after New York fined insurance broker Lockton Cos. LLC $7 million for underwriting an NRA-branded insurance program called Carry Guard.</s>Democratic New York State Attorney General Letitia James has begun an investigation into the National Rifle Association.

James’s office has told the NRA, its affiliates and some of its related businesses to preserve financial records, The New York Times reported.

The Times reported that the NRA, which was aware an investigation was coming, has reviewed operations of its contractors but that the advertising firm of Ackerman McQueen has not complied with the NRA’s requests.

“As part of this investigation, the Attorney General has issued subpoenas,” a spokesperson told CNN. “We will not have further comment at this time.”

New York’s attorney general is uniquely positioned to investigate the NRA because the organization is chartered in New York State and her office has authority to regulate not-for-profit groups.

Prior to her election last year, James trashed the NRA in an interview with Ebony.

“The NRA holds [itself] out as a charitable organization, but in fact, [it] really [is] a terrorist organization,” she said then.

“The NRA will fully cooperate with any inquiry into its finances. The NRA is prepared for this, and has full confidence in its accounting practices and commitment to good governance,” William A. Brewer III, the NRA’s outside counsel, said in a statement Saturday.

The investigation comes as NRA President Oliver North announced Saturday he was not seeking another term and amid multiple media reports of infighting within the organization.

“The current situation,” North wrote to NRA members, means the NRA’s “non-profit status is threatened,” NPR reported.

In its report on the investigation, the Times reported that the NRA is suing Ackerman, and that North, as an Ackerman employee, was siding with the contractor against the NRA.

NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre said James is simply following up on a campaign promise to attack his organization.

“She vowed to conduct a taxpayer-funded fishing expedition to investigate us in the state where we were founded 148 years ago,” LaPierre said, according to The Washington Times. “The governor’s chosen candidate for attorney general vowed to attack the NRA as a pillar of her campaign platform even before she was elected into office.”

During the NRA’s convention on Saturday, LaPierre referenced New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, saying that he “hates the NRA and he hates our freedom.”

RELATED: Trump Signs Doc Pulling US from Obama-Era UN Guns Treaty in Front of NRA Crowd

The NRA is also facing a fight from the anti-gun rights group Everytown for Gun Safety, which filed a complaint to the IRS about the NRA’s tax-exempt status after reports that executives or contractors were receiving inordinate sums of money.

“In light of the recent, credible allegations of excessive invoicing and personal enrichment by insiders, it’s encouraging that the New York Attorney General is looking into the NRA, and we renew our call for other state and federal authorities to do the same,” Everytown for Gun Safety President John Feinblatt said.

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
Oliver North steps down as president of the National Rifle Association as New York attorney general Letitia James opens an investigation against the NRA.