CEO and Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association Wayne LaPierre speaks at the George R. Brown Convention Center during the NRA's annual convention on May 27, 2022, in Houston. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images/TNS)

NEW YORK — Wayne LaPierre, who has led the National Rifle Association for more than 30 years, turning it into a potent political force opposing gun control measures, resigned Friday.

The move by LaPierre, a 74-year-old who was born in upstate New York, came on the eve of a corruption trial he faces in Manhattan. The trial is part of a long running campaign by state Attorney General Letitia James against the NRA.

“With pride in all that we have accomplished, I am announcing my resignation from the NRA,” LaPierre said in a statement. “I’ve been a card-carrying member of this organization for most of my adult life, and I will never stop supporting the NRA and its fight to defend Second Amendment freedom.”

“My passion for our cause burns as deeply as ever,” he added.

The Wall Street Journal first reported on the resignation.

_____