Oliver North, the retired Marine colonel known for his role in the 1980s Iran-Contra scandal, will become president of the National Rifle Association of America within weeks, the gun rights organization said Monday.
North, a longtime member of the NRA board of directors and a former Senate candidate in Virginia, plans to immediately leave his role as a commentator for Fox News.
“This is the most exciting news for our members since Charlton Heston became President of our Association,” NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre said in a news release, referring to the late actor who served as the group’s president from 1998 to 2003. “Oliver North is a legendary warrior for American freedom, a gifted communicator and skilled leader. In these times, I can think of no one better suited to serve as our President.”
The NRA presidency, according to its IRS forms, is an unpaid gig. By contrast, LaPierre made $1.4 million running the organization in 2016, according to the NRA’s tax form. The group’s total revenue was $61 million that year.
LaPierre has long been the face of the NRA, appearing often on TV and Capitol Hill in defense of Second Amendment rights and the organization.
At the NRA, North replaces Pete Brownell who, according to the gun rights group, planned to devote his “full time and energy to his family business” and therefore did not seek a second term. Brownell is CEO of Brownells Inc., a supplier of firearms accessories. He took over as NRA president last year from Allan Cors.
North, 74, was convicted for his role during the Reagan administration’s Iran-Contra scandal, which involved U.S. officials arranging the sale of arms to Iran, despite an embargo, in order to raise funds to help the Contras in Nicaragua while negotiating for the release of American hostages. North’s conviction
