Editing National Rifle Association (section)

====Ackerman McQueen lawsuit====
In April 2019, the group unexpectedly sued its longtime public relations firm [[Ackerman McQueen]], which was responsible for two decades of aggressive gun-rights advertising on behalf of the NRA. The lawsuit alleges that the firm refused to turn over financial records to support its billings to the NRA, which amounted to $40 million in 2017. The lawsuit questioned recent programming on NRATV, an online channel operated by Ackerman, which has taken political positions unrelated to the NRA's traditional focus on gun-related issues. There were also concerns about possible conflicts of interest, such as the $1 million contract to host [[NRATV]] between Ackerman and NRA president [[Oliver North]].<ref name="beset">{{cite news|url=https://www.apnews.com/bda97817dabf492e9be8099bdd1a4cd6|title=NRA beset by infighting over whether it has strayed too far|last=Pane|first=Lisa Marie|date=April 24, 2019|work=AP News|access-date=April 28, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Hakim|first=Danny|date=2019-04-15|title=N.R.A. Sues Contractor Behind NRATV|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/15/business/nra-nratv-lawsuit.html|access-date=2020-08-12|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Leading up to the NRA's 2019 national convention in April, there were reports that North and LaPierre were at odds, with North demanding that LaPierre resign and LaPierre accusing North of extortion.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/26/politics/nra-extortion-pressure-to-resign/index.html|title=Wall Street Journal: NRA chief executive says he was pressured to resign by group's president|last=Sullivan|first=Kate|date=April 27, 2019|work=CNN|access-date=April 28, 2019}}</ref> At the convention a letter was read from North, saying he had been told he would not be granted a second term as NRA president and adding that he intended to create a committee to investigate allegations of financial mismanagement.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/27/politics/oliver-north-nra/|title=Oliver North: 'Informed' I will not be renominated NRA president|last1=Bohn|first1=Kevin|last2=Watkins|first2=Eli|date=April 27, 2019|work=CNN|access-date=April 28, 2019}}</ref> A subsequent resolution to oust LaPierre over "highly suspect" financial practices was hotly debated for an hour before members voted not to discuss financial issues in public and to refer the resolution to the NRA board.<ref name="ousts">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-nra-ousts-oliver-north-and-stifles-debate-on-financial-wrongdoing|title=The NRA Ousts Oliver North and Stifles Debate on Financial Wrongdoing|last=Freskos|first=Brian|date=April 27, 2019|magazine=The New Yorker|access-date=April 28, 2019}}</ref> On June 25, 2019, the NRA severed all ties with Ackerman McQueen and shut down the NRATV operation.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/25/us/nra-nratv-ackerman-mcqueen.html|title=N.R.A. Shuts Down Production of NRATV|first=Danny|last=Hakim|newspaper=The New York Times|date=June 25, 2019}}</ref>