Despite all they've achieved for Trump and Putin, it really does seem like The End is beginning for the National Russian Association.
The NRA's woes got woe-er today, as group accused its second-in-command and top lobbyist Christopher W. Cox of complicity in the recent failed coup against chief executive Wayne LaPierre.
From the New York Times:
The accusation came in a lawsuit filed Wednesday night in New York State Supreme Court against Oliver North, the N.R.A.'s former president, who led the attempt to oust Mr. LaPierre shortly before the group's annual convention in April. The complaint provides fresh detail about the effort against Mr. LaPierre, but it is the involvement of the organization's No. 2 official, Christopher, W. Cox, that will reverberate.
In the suit, the N.R.A. said that text messages and emails demonstrated that "another errant N.R.A. fiduciary, Chris Cox — once thought by some to be a likely successor for Mr. LaPierre — participated" in what was described as a conspiracy.
The court filing includes text exchanges in which Mr. Cox and a board member appear to be discussing an effort to oust Mr. LaPierre, though the full context is unclear. The N.R.A. is conducting an internal review of the matter, and a spokesman, Andrew Arulanandam, said on Thursday that Mr. Cox had "been placed on administrative leave."
Responding to the accusations against him, Cox said in a statement today:
The allegations against me are offensive and patently false. For over 24 years I have been a loyal and effective leader in this organization. My efforts have always been focused on serving the members of the National Rifle Association, and I will continue to focus all of my energy on carrying out our core mission of defending the Second Amendment.
Read more:
N.R.A. Suspends Second-in-Command, Implicating Him in Coup Attempt
Image: SALONIC/Shutterstock