As leaders in the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV), we are obligated to fully support our Party, its platform, and its State Party Plan (SPP). Only in times of great crisis is it necessary to publicly call to account our leaders. Today we are faced with such a task; so with sadness and humility we rise and declare:
Whereas Article V Section D items 1a &1b of the SPP empowers a Legislative District Committee (LDC) to choose the nominating method of candidates for public office in its jurisdiction; and in the case of Mass Meetings, Canvasses, or Conventions, make arrangements therefore; and
Whereas the LDC for House of Delegates District 97 (LDC97) met in January and chose a Convention as the nominating method; and
Whereas the three County Committees comprising LDC97 had their requisite Mass Meetings per SPP Article VI section D Item 1b and elected delegates to the Convention; and
Whereas no official legal appeals were made of either the LDC meeting or the three Mass Meetings or the election and certification of elected delegates to the Convention; and
Whereas Article X Section B Items 1-6 of the SPP gives explicit instruction for the Appeals process; and states that each Unit, LDC, and District Committee shall decide all controversies and contests arising within its jurisdiction; and
Whereas Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised (11TH ed.; RONR), paraphrased, says that once a Motion (the January Convention decision) was acted upon (the three Mass Meetings, election and certification of delegates) it cannot be rescinded or changed; and
Whereas with the foregoing, we, the 5th CDC, consider actions and events happening after this point as moot and irrelevant to the nominating process of LDC97; and
Whereas Article X Section C of the SPP states: The State Central Committee shall make the final decision, upon timely appeal, on all Party controversies and contests in any Election District of the State, rulings of the General Counsel and on all other matters deemed to affect the efficiency of the Party organization or the success of the Party; and
Whereas three days prior to the Convention, LDC97 attempted to cancel the said Convention and replace it with a Party Canvass on June 1st, thereby contradicting RONR; and
Whereas the State Party Chairman publicly stated, with implied authority, and communicated with Convention Delegates that the Convention was in fact canceled, thereby contradicting RONR and the SPP, and removed or instructed the removal of the Call to Convention from the RPV website, and thus incited more disunity in an already degenerating situation; and
Whereas while the situation in the 97th deteriorated, the RPV Chairman failed to call for a meeting of the Executive Committee of the RPV, which, per the SPP in Article III Section E item 1b states: The Executive Committee shall act for the State Central Committee when the latter is not in session and shall be subject to the direction of the State
Central Committee; and
Whereas an appeal of the decisions of LDC97 to cancel and replace the nominating method was properly filed and heard by the First Congressional District Committee (1st CDC); and
Whereas on May 20th the 1st CDC ruled, with a majority opinion 17-5, that the motion purportedly canceling the Convention was out of order, and that the Convention was valid and the nominee was properly certified to the State Board of Elections, and that the motion to hold a Canvass on June 1 was null and void; and
Whereas the RPV Chairman is responsible for the actions of paid RPV staff, per the SPP Article III Section D Item 2g: He shall be responsible for the operation of State Headquarters, including hiring such personnel as he may deem necessary. He may appoint any personnel as may be required from time to time with such duties as he may prescribe; and
Whereas the RPV Chairman or his staff failed to post properly called meetings by LDC97 or the 1st CDC to the RPV website as provided to them; and
Whereas after the 1st CDC ruling of May 20th, the RPV Executive Director made public statements disagreeing with the 1st CDC decision, and in particular, stated in an interview with the Richmond Times Dispatch, with the implied authority of the RPV, that “As far as we’re concerned, the June 1 canvass is still on,”
thereby contradicting the appeals process as spelled out in the SPP and contributed more uncertainty in the public’s mind; and
Whereas these actions and public statements by the RPV Chairman, and by an employee under his authority, have exacerbated an already tumultuous nomination process; therefore
BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED that the 5th Congressional District Committee issues this statement of no confidence in the current RPV Chairman; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that should the current or any future RPV Chairman or employees under his/her authority continue on this path of interfering in the nomination or appeals process of the 97th LDC or any proper Committee of the RPV, we will call for that RPV Chairman’s resignation; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Committee hereby directs our Chairman to make known our sentiments to the State Central Committee of the RPV, as well as the voting members of its Executive Committee, and directs our SCC Representatives to vote accordingly at future SCC Meetings; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the 5th CDC states our intent is solely to preserve the integrity of our Party, its SPP, autonomy of all units, and the trust of the grassroots Republicans and voters.
Passed: Yeas – 29 and Nays – 1
Signed: Melvin Adams, Chairman June 1st, 2019
