After over half a decade, the National Rifle Association’s corruption scandal appears to be at an end.

Just over a year ago, longtime leader Wayne LaPierre, who was at the center of that scandal, resigned. Last month, the judge in the group’s civil trial issued his final order cementing a series of reforms while leaving the group free of government monitoring. Now, the law firm that took the NRA through that trial and inspired a lot of internal dissent has announced it is moving on.

That provides the nation’s largest gun-rights group the chance to begin a new era.

Had the group forced out LaPierre and the others accused of diverting NRA funds toward lavish personal expenses when evidence of malfeasance first came to light and instituted better internal controls, it may have avoided years of decay. It may not have lost millions of members or been forced to sell off many of its assets. It may not have had to pay upwards of $200 million in legal fees or attempt to file for bankruptcy.

But the NRA went the direction it did, and one question throughout has always been how long this ordeal would last, especially with New York Attorney General Letitia James attempting to end the organization outright. Now, the end has arrived. And the NRA can look ahead with more certainty than at any point since 2018.

Just being free of the case and the internal drama surrounding the way the NRA decided to handle it should give the group a better chance at moving on.

It helps that the NRA’s favored candidate, Donald Trump, won the 2024 presidential election. Many of the down-ballot candidates it backed won as well. The group should have access to the halls of Congress and the White House over at least the next two years.

If the NRA can get its books in order, prove it is handling donations properly, and implement concrete gun-rights reforms, it can probably gain back the trust of members and donors.

Of course, that won’t be an easy task. There are a lot of hurdles for the NRA to overcome.

For one, Trump presents as much of a challenge as an opportunity. He canceled a rally with the group in the waning days of the election. His new administration presents a lot of chances for pro-gun reforms but also the risk of new gun restrictions under certain circumstances similar to those that led Trump to impose the since-overturned bumpstock ban.

Congress presents a similar dynamic. Republicans have long been allied with the group and are likely to be receptive to a resurgent NRA. However, the GOP’s margins are razor-thin and unlikely to produce substantial new gun laws.

Then there’s the internal struggles that still exist. For one, Trump’s decision to back out of the October 2024 NRA rally came after news that the group’s new CEO was involved in an animal abuse incident in college. That story is likely to follow the group around for a long time.

Then, there’s still a lot of turmoil inside the NRA board. The last board meeting was a marathon affair, during which longtime LaPierre allies thwarted what appeared to be a majority of the board on whether to get rid of the Brewer law firm. The firm is now winding down its relationship with the NRA, and many of the LaPierre allies have been pushed out of key committee roles by the New York judge who oversaw their case, but that doesn’t mean everyone agrees on what direction the group should head now.

There are several things to look for in the near future to gauge whether the NRA is gaining strength.

If the NRA can tip its budget back into the black, which should be easier without the weight of ongoing massive legal fees, it will likely publicize that fact. The same goes for any resurgence in membership. Of course, the NRA will have to release specific numbers and evidence above and beyond its public filings to convince people.

Then there’s the NRA’s ability to influence state and federal gun policy. If it can show its having an impact on getting bills into law or regulations through executive agencies, that will help restore some of its lost prestige. The new Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act and FIND Act are prime candidates for federal legislation, though they both face long odds of getting through either house of Congress.

If, instead, there are more stories of financial spiraling and layoffs or it fails to deliver any significant accomplishments under the new Trump administration, that will be a sign the NRA may be beyond saving.