From Michael Giere, 8th Congressional District – State Central Committee
Dear Republican Activist;
Last May at the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) state convention, thousands of you – the grassroots backbone of our Party – overwhelmingly elected a new Chairman. State Delegate Jeff Frederick ran an aggressive campaign, pledging to renew and modernize the Party statewide, and to re-energize the grassroots base in Virginia. As Jeff’s victory with 60% of the vote carrying 8 of 11 congressional districts was receiving a final tabulation, then-Chairman Hager graciously moved that Delegate Frederick be declared Chairman by acclamation. With his win, Jeff Frederick became the first State Chairman initially elected by delegates at a Convention (not first appointed by the State Central Committee, or SCC) in 12 years, and the first to be elected in a contested convention race in 16 years!
But, the amazing victory did not sit well with a very small group of Party power brokers. On the convention floor that day in May, some of them declared that the election “would not stand.” As you may know, this small group of people on the Executive Committee of the SCC coordinated the presentation of a motion that the Chairman be removed on the basis of 10 vague charges, initiating a public campaign to force him out. They then calculatingly leaked the “charges” to the press, before many members of the SCC had even seen them. Unnecessarily involving our elected officials and candidates, their efforts have created a “feuding Republicans” storyline in the media, giving Democrat candidates who are fighting one another for that party’s statewide nominations a much-welcomed respite from the media spotlight. With friends like these folks, the Democrats barely have to show up!
I hope by now you’ve seen a summary of the Chairman’s thoughtful and careful response to the 10 “charges.” That response clearly deflated whatever concern there might have been, while those “charges” were still only being whispered about in the press. In the light of day, the charges become what they always were – hard feelings pretending to be something important. In addition, Jeff sent a 150-page detailed internal response to the membership of the SCC. Portions of the detailed record included in his response make it crystal clear that a tiny group of people, from day one, have agitated, obstructed, created non-existent controversy and deliberately demeaned the Chairman at every turn. Truly sad.
But the good news is that is is never too late to do the right thing. Many, many hundreds of conservatives, just like you, are sending emails and involving themselves. It is your party too! Your voice needs to be heard. I urge you to take a moment and email your SCC members* and tell them: enough already! Support our elected Chairman, Jeff Frederick. We have an unusual opportunity this year to lead the nation back from the edge, by fighting for and electing a great statewide ticket and retaining control of the House of Delegates.
Let’s fight Democrats and win in November.
