NRA sheds workers, cuts pay as coronavirus pandemic upends economy

Already in financial distress over legal bills, the National Rifle Association has canceled events, cut pay and laid off employees in the coronavirus pandemic, Fox News reports.

“Like every other business and nonprofit, we are forced to make tough choices in this new economic environment,” said NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam, according to the Associated Press.

The organization, which has 5 million members, has canceled its national convention, depriving it of critical revenue, along with other fundraising events, the publication reported.

In early April, the NRA laid off 60 employees, Newsweek reported. It later furloughed additional employees, saying that it hoped the reductions were temporary.

The association also has instituted 4-day work weeks for some employees and cut pay for all employees by 20 percent, the Associated Press reported.

But the NRA had already been facing budget problems, NPR reported. In a recording obtained by the network, CEO Wayne LaPierre told NRA board members in January that the association faced $100 million in legal bills.

The NRA also has faced internal turmoil, with then-president Oliver North resigning in April 2019 over “allegations of self-dealing and poor management of NRA funds,” NPR reported.

More than 3.5 million cases of the COVID-19 virus have been confirmed worldwide with more than 248,000 deaths as of May 4, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has more than 1.1 million confirmed cases with more than 67,000 deaths.

The World Health Organization declared coronavirus a global pandemic. In the United States, President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency.

This story was originally published May 4, 2020 at 10:32 AM with the headline "NRA sheds workers, cuts pay as coronavirus pandemic upends economy."