A new lawsuit from the National Rifle Association alleges that Chris Cox, the group’s second-in-command, was part of former NRA President Oliver North’s effort to oust chief executive Wayne LaPierre.
The lawsuit, filed late Wednesday night, alleges that text messages and emails found that “another errant NRA fiduciary, Chris Cox — once thought by some to be a likely successor for Mr. LaPierre — participated” in what the gun-advocacy group described as a conspiracy.
Cox, 49, has worked with the NRA since 1995 and has led its lobbying efforts since 2002. He is a prominent figure within the association and the revelations will doubtless send a shock through the more than 5 million members of the group, according to the New York Times.
Cox, whose Twitter banner features a picture of him and the 69-year-old LaPierre on stage next to President Trump, denied the accusations in a Thursday statement.
“The allegations against me are offensive and patently false. For over 24 years I have been a loyal and effective leader in this organization,” Cox said. “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.”
LaPierre, who has served as CEO since 1991, accused North of threatening to blackmail him in April. North threatened, through public relations firm Ackerman McQueen, to release damning information on LaPierre unless he stepped aside, LaPierre said. North soon left his role as president of the organization after the attempted coup was revealed.
