The Washington Times has hired David Keene, former president of The National Rifle Association, to serve as its opinion editor.

Keene, the longtime chairman of the American Conservative Union, stepped down as NRA president in May following what the Times described as "the group's successful effort to block new restrictions on gun ownership and sales in the aftermath of the Newtown, Conn., tragedy." 

Keene will now oversee the paper's editorial page, commentary section and online opinion strategy. In a statement, he said his goal will be to “continue to expand the reach of The Washington Times as the ‘go to’ publication for conservatives in Washington and around the country by giving readers access to solid, insightful and interesting conservative perspectives on public policy and politics that they can rely on."

The Times has been on a hiring spree of late: Last week, the paper announced that it had hired Ben Carson, the pediatric neurosurgeon-turned-conservative hero, to serve as a weekly columnist. Two days earlier, it announced that John Solomon had been re-appointed editor after a four-year hiatus, overseeing all news and opinion content, as well as digital and business strategies.

Solomon described Keene as "perfectly suited to craft the fresh policy ideas our readers have come to expect from the Washington Times opinion pages and to use our print, Web, TV and radio products to inspire a new generation of conservatives to find their voice, embrace innovation and reach consensus."

Editor Emeritus Wesley Pruden, who currently oversees opinion, will continue to direct and produce editorials on a full-time basis, according to The Times press release.