Washington (CNN) Oliver North, the Fox News contributor and central figure in the Iran-Contra scandal, will be the National Rifle Association's new president, the group announced Monday. In his statement, LaPierre compared North favorably to Charlton Heston, the Hollywood icon who was once president of the group. North will become president "within a few weeks," the group said, and is retiring from his position at Fox News, effective immediately. North will join the NRA at an increasingly contentious juncture for the group, facing off against a renewed push for gun control in the wake of the February school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Some survivors of the shooting have emerged as prominent voices in favor of gun control measures and have accused the NRA of endangering lives through political influence.

Source: CNN May 07, 2018 17:37 UTC