FAIRFAX, Va. – Wayne LaPierre, the long-time leader of the National Rifle Association, announced his resignation on Friday, just days before the start of his civil trial in New York.

LaPierre, who had been the organization’s executive vice president, cited health reasons for his departure, which will take effect on January 31. He had been at the helm of the NRA for more than 30 years.

This announcement comes as he and three other current and former NRA leaders are facing a lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James in 2020, alleging that they violated nonprofit laws and misused millions of dollars of NRA funds for personal use. The lawsuit accuses LaPierre of diverting millions of dollars for his personal use, including private jets, expensive meals, travel consultants, and trips to the Bahamas for himself and his family.

According to the attorney general, LaPierre spent over $500,000 of the NRA’s assets to fly himself and his family members to the Bahamas, and received more than $1.2 million in expense reimbursements from 2013 to 2017. The other defendants are also accused of enriching themselves and contributing to the NRA’s loss of more than $64 million in three years.

The civil trial in Manhattan is expected to begin on Monday and will last for six weeks. A jury will be tasked with determining whether the defendants violated nonprofit laws and will recommend the amount of money that each defendant would have to repay the NRA. The judge will have the final say over monetary damages and remedies, including whether the defendants should be permanently barred from serving on the board of any charity in New York and whether an independent monitor should oversee the NRA’s finances.

The attorney general is seeking both remedies, which the judge would decide on during a second phase of the trial.