Scandal-ridden NRA head LaPierre digs in against gun control

In the aftermath of the back-to-back shooting 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 decades-long 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.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.“They’ve done so much damage to their reputation that the effectiveness of any NRA statements in really swaying opinion has to be considered diminished,” said Rob Pincus, a longtime NRA member and firearms instructor who founded a group calling for LaPierre’s resignation. Others are unhappy that the Trump administration hasn’t translated into an easing of gun laws.Now LaPierre and the NRA are facing new backlash from Americans outraged over the violence in El Paso and Dayton carried out by gunmen armed with AK-47 and AR-15-style rifles.“Everyone pays attention to Wayne LaPierre as the face of the NRA, but really everything under him has been washed away,” said Adam Winkler, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law and an expert on gun rights and politics.___Longtime watchers of the NRA say it would be a mistake to count out LaPierre, who has earned the firearms community’s trust with the successful fights against gun control he’s led for decades.Some acknowledge the allegations of financial improprieties are a problem, but they are happy with the NRA’s legislative record under LaPierre.“Wayne’s got a lot of equity,” said Rick Manning, a former NRA lobbyist.