By John Fredericks, Syndicated Radio Talk Show Host
In a critical mid-term election year when all GOP energy should be directed toward President Trump’s America First agenda, a group of unhappy Republican sixth congressional district committee members are instead focused on carrying out their own personal vendettas.
This is the same group that engaged in shenanigans with delegate credentials and delegate distribution lists to candidates. They are supporters of former Chairman Scott Sayre, who told me multiple times that “he’d investigate who had the lists.” Of course, these are the lists which he had as the chairman. I guess he never investigated himself.
It’s the same group who tried to sneak in a plurality vote rule to benefit their candidate, Cynthia Dunbar, in the congressional nominating process.
It’s the same group that voted for the convention, the date, the rules and the venue, including not allowing me to broadcast it live, for fear of exposing their ruse while it unfolded.
It was all going their way…until the district delegates showed up and handed Sayre a resounding defeat, chose attorney Jennifer Brown as their chairwoman and voted overwhelmingly for Ben Cline to be their Congressional nominee over Dunbar.
Fast forward a few months: instead of accepting the will of the convention voters, this group has instead chosen to sabotage Brown.
There are three Federal Election Commission (FEC) complaints pending—two involving the committee and one against actions taken by individuals who served under Sayre.
One complaint in particular involves the fact that Dunbar was on Sayre’s company payroll for $5,000—the exact amount of the filing fee to become a nominee for U.S. Congress.
At Brown’s first meeting, in a surprise action, the group put forth a motion to retain an out of state law firm to defend the committee against the FEC complaints. They also motioned to authorize up to $30,000 in legal expenditure for the service.
Having majority support on the committee, their motion carried. This effectively drained the 6th district coffers dry, handcuffing Brown. It also depressed donors from contributing to the committee in this election cycle, for fear their generosity would be earmarked to pay for someone’s legal fees–in lieu of legitimate political activity, like get out the vote drives.
An additional motion forbade any other representative than the one deemed to communicate with the chosen law firm.
The Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) counsel is competent at handling FEC complaints on behalf of their committees.
A meeting called by the same group, while Brown was on vacation last week, systematically stripped her of all authority under the guise of making things more efficient.
These same by-laws, now apparently antiquated, were perfectly fine under the Sayre regime, just four months ago when he held the gavel.
When Grassroots Become the Establishment
The sabotage in Virginia’s GOP 6th by disgruntled party operatives, whose candidates were routed is petty, childish and sad.
It’s unacceptable to the delegates who drove hours and invested a Saturday of their life at a political convention. It’s unacceptable to those who donate to the Party to get Republicans elected.
It’s unacceptable in a swing election year to spend a committee’s time and money on legal defense when it’s already provided.
It should be unacceptable to the RPV and their new chairman, Jack Wilson.
Jack, welcome to the state Republican Party. Now you’ve met the enemy. It’s not the Democrats. It’s your own committee members in district six.
