I refuse to sit back and be called a liar by paid operatives of the Michigan Republican Party, as well as Lansing hacks whose job is not to bring the truth to light, but to keep the "Lansing Cartel" in business.
Some have called for me to reveal my source (and accompanying documents) regarding information that the Michigan Republican Party is engaging in the same type of precinct delegate hit operations in 2016 that they did in 2014. I ALWAYS protect my sources and refuse to let the Lansing establishment smear them as we have seen in the case of Keith Allard and Ben Graham. It's disgusting, and I won't be a part of it. Releasing the documents could also easily reveal the source to MRP insiders.
That is why this morning, I am calling on Michigan Republican Party Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel and Co-Chair Jeff Sakwa to come clean with the grassroots activists who helped elect them last February, and release the full budget of the MRP from 2013 and 2014.
I ask this budget be released because I know they will give every excuse in the book not to release this year's where they plan on targeting Matt Maddock and "Battle Cry" supporters, but releasing budgets from past years should be very easy to do, especially if it would vindicate the MRP.
Many reading this would be shocked to realize that the full budget is kept secret from even State Committee members. None of the administrative account is revealed, and many line items are missing. Put everything on the table and come clean, or shut the hell up and stop lying about me. It's very simple.
Let's release the documents and show Michigan Republicans what their party has been doing behind the scenes. My documents show a coordinated precinct delegate operation designed to purge grassroots conservatives in 2014 and 2016, and I stand by my article 100%.
I also have information that the MRP worked hand-in-hand, directly with the "Michigan Freedom Fund," possibly to the level of official misconduct that would violate election laws. That's why I am also calling for top MRP officials to release any and all emails corresponding with any member of the Michigan Freedom Fund.
I look forward to the release of these documents, and subsequently, full vindication regarding my article.
-Brandon Hall
_______________________________________________________________
Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.
>>>Email him at WestMiPolitics@Gmail.com
 |
| Photo By Darlene Dowling Thompson |
Don't hold your breath in the MIGOP "coming clean". It is a house of dirty tricks.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct that MIGOP state committee members are given zilch financial data. Budget Committee members are given a tiny smidgen of data.
From personal experience, I know about being "targeted" as a precinct delegate.
Lastly, another cute dirty trick is to sponsor an innocent looking survey (pledging confidentiality) and then using the data in reverse to target delegates. Yes, that is done, too.
"..would violate election laws."
ReplyDeleteWhat might Michigan Attorney General "On Duty" Bill Schuette have to say about that?
Nothing at all, if he approves of his party targeting its own members for removal, or if such actions are deemed merely unethical (rather than illegal). He wouldn't dare bite the establishment hand that feeds his political appetite, would he?
What a shame it would be for him to ignore the political plight of those delegates who will ultimately decide the next Republican nominee for A.G. at the August state convention.
Also, Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson likes to talk big about election integrity while seeking support from those same Republican state convention delegates as she seeks the nomination.
Will she walk the talk as grassroots Republicans are getting cannibalized by party bosses while running for precinct delegate in the August primary?
If Bill and Ruth are taking orders from Ronna and Jeff, we'll know soon enough.
not to worry, Schuette and Johnson are term-limited and the next nominations won't be until 2018, and they say time heals all wounds
ReplyDeletewho thought these term limits were a good idea? no accountability to the grassroots during four years of lame duck, not cool
You know as well as everyone else, the party will never release their budget. And I don't think they should.
ReplyDeleteI served on Budget for 2 years. I got to see ALL of the numbers and ask questions about ANY line item. This is private information that we DO NOT want the Democrats to see. No way it should be released under any circumstances.
As far as precinct delegate recruitment goes, that is the JOB of the state party. They spend money recruiting people to the party every 2 years. Nothing unusual about that...
Put your name to this comment then if you're soe ager to defend things!
DeleteIt's not the job of the state GOP to choose sides between delegates it likes or dislikes, based on how they've voted at conventions and caucuses.
DeletePromoting involvement to increase the number of delegates is one thing. Spending members' dues money to eliminate delegates that the "party" does not like is the topic at hand.
DeleteThanks, Brandon.
ReplyDeleteA budget is only a plan of income and expenses. What you want are the financial statements, with detailed line items. But skullduggery can be buried within those line items, so what you really want is the books opened up.
I was the top vote getter in my precinct in 2012, always contested. Then in 2014 my votes dropped a lot, and I was told by informed GOPers that the GOP had sent out flyers against me, supporting the approved establishment candidates. Never saw the flyers and don't know how they knew, but I trust them.
This is how the GOP rewards people who volunteer their time to work for the Party and principles of liberty, as espoused by the Party.
I personally witnessed the 11th District chairman (Mike Mitchell) turning in "over 100" (his words) Precinct Delegate affidavits to the Wayne County Clerk, an hour before the deadline in 2014. He takes his orders from a long time Western Wayne political consultant (Shannon Price), who is literally his boss. (He was then, and still is.) Who would DeVos and other establishment millionaires look to to get this job done for them? No surprise there, the party hierarchy is out to look after maintaining their power structure, period. The glossy published platitudes about "Republican principles" for the rubes are simply P.R. for a mutual benefits club.
ReplyDeleteDenis Curran, 11th District
There will always be those moving to discredit others, for actions that they themselves are moving forward.
ReplyDeleteIN this instance case, it is quite apparent an operative has supplied "misinformation" for a purpose.
As quoted by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, "Yes. we are on the way back — not by mere chance, not by a turn of the cycle. We are coming back more soundly than ever before because we planned it that way, and don't let anybody tell you differently." The Citadel October 23, 1935.
There is a political revolt, an insurgency if you choose, that is rumbling through the lands of the Wolverine, and across the broad breadth of the American Republic.
It started at the grassroots where singular folk stand up, in this instance, as Precinct Delegates.
There are nearly 5000 thousand open precinct delegates seats here in Michigan, which have been sitting vacant for more years, than others would admit.
Now in response to the "insurgency" organizing to fill those vacant seats, someone sends out information inferring a "backroom scheme" to purge Precinct delegates here in the lands of the Wolverine?
Question how does one going around purging vacated seats?
Iverson you make a good point. It truly is a sad state of affairs that our fellow citizens are so unaware of the power that they could make use of. Being a Precinct Delegate is the peaceful way to occupy the parties. At this point it would take conscription to fill the ranks. Why is this? Could it be that well financed individuals have occupied the MRP, for many, many years and use their influence with educational, journalistic, corporate and local government leaders to keep the public unaware of the power at their fingertips? All it takes are like minds working together, they don’t need a conspiracy, just a dumbed down electorate. Awareness of the game is what is missing. Whenever individuals within the party rise up to challenge the “STATUS QUO” they are beset upon from every corner. Insurgency to fill vacant seats is not the same as targeting an individual to silence the threat to the way things are. MRP uses open precinct delegates seats to serve their own purposes, such as this;
DeleteLANSING, MI — At least 11 employees in Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder’s executive office are running for precinct delegate posts in Tuesday’s Republican primary and, if elected, could be in position to help Lt. Gov. Brian Calley keep his spot on the general election ticket. http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2014/08/michigan_2014_primary_snyder_s.html
Is it a “backroom scheme” to sic the dogs from groups like Michigan Freedom Fund on conservatives? Attack dogs like McNeilly from the Michigan Freedom Fund are many times the original source for the “media” when it comes to name calling within the ranks of the MRP. Brandon I would love to see a list of McNeilly’s quotes recorded by the “media”;
“Remember Greg McNeilly? He served as executive director of the state Republican Party, and works for The Windcrest Group, led by Betsy and Dick DeVos, and president of the newly formed (2012)“Michigan Freedom Fund” PAC
He is the guy who said …..”Some Republicans argue certain tea party figures are being handled too gingerly. GOP consultant Greg McNeilly said establishment Republican leaders have “misplaced fears” about the strength of the tea party’s more vocal activists, whom he called “malcontents” and “magpies.” Instead, McNeilly is urging GOP leaders go on the offense...” The Detroit News
“None of (tea party activists) have shown strength at the ballot box, so there’s no evidence for them to be concerned,” McNeilly said. “… Many of them are actually an invasive species, they are not Republicans.”” http://grassrootsmichigan.com/?p=3967
Nice guy… This is what political money buys in Michigan! This is the current state of the MRP.
“It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority.”
Benjamin Franklin
Excellent follow-up. Good to see there is at least one journalist out there willing to do their due diligence!
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think the whole precinct delegate system is a mess. Here's why:
ReplyDelete1) Take this year's presidential primary. At the county conventions, which elect delegates to the state convention, all of the electorate will be precinct delegates. At the state convention, most of the delegates will be precinct delegates. All of the precinct delegates were elected in August 2014--nearly two years ago. This makes no sense. Why aren't new precinct delegates elected on the presidential primary ballot? Trump or Cruz could win the presidential primary, but the delegates elected to represent Michigan at the national convention--chosen at the state convention--could be hostile to either of these candidates, as the so-called party establishment controls close to 60% of the precinct delegate seats. If the national convention is contested by presidential candidates without a clear nominee, this would be huge as the winner of the presidential primary couldn't rely upon Michigan's delegates.
2) Don't forget Michigan law, which has never been repealed, requires every township in Michigan to have a township Republican and township Democratic committee. This is suppose to consist of the precinct delegates and comes into play when a township elected office vacancy exists. I don't know of any township party committee in the state. Do you?
3) What's the point of getting involved and joining the party if there's never an opportunity to become a precinct delegate? This probably isn't the case in the big, populated counties with hundreds of precinct delegate seats. However, in some of the smaller counties--many of which are solidly Republican--there are only one or two precinct delegate seats per township. That's not fair to new people.
4) I personally would like to see an entire new system of party membership. There should be some sort of dues requirement. Anyone being seated as a delegate to a county or state convention should have to be a dues-paying member of the county and state Republican parties.
ReplyDeleteYou have furnished a worthable content in here. I find this article useful to read and share. I have already bookmarked your content for future updates. Thanks for sharing.
Strength Based Delegation | Strength Based Leadership
Amazed, I just tracked this news source today also. Will visit it often. We need more citizen participation.
DeleteLack of it explains most of our country's problems.
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