GOP Races Get Personal
Recent Tulsa GOP stories have received massive statewide response. Thank you, but please forgive the length of this one. Past stories were shocking to some, but a few responses reveal even more troubling details moving forward.
It appears now that leadership of the Tulsa GOP is in total disarray. Chair Ronda Vuillemont-Smith is campaigning for reelection by complaining she is under attack by “grown men that don’t have anything better to do” and claiming victories in which she played no part. Bob Jack is changing (or clarifying) party financial processes on the fly and Charity Marcus is playing the race card. That craziness aside, the real battle is over the OKGOP Rules.
Chair Vuillermont-Smith claims all election successes during her term, and even one Libertarian victory in Tulsa County. While her “help” in many races is quietly questioned by Republicans, Libertarian City Councilor Grant Miller went public on Facebook to deny her claim.
Councilor Miller wrote, “It’s been said that defeat is an orphan and victory a thousand fathers, and in the case of my win last November - victory had about as many mothers, sisters and a few half cousins. I’m thankful and very fortunate to have the support I did- couldn’t have won without it. The victory was made possible because of the work of so many and was due more to people than parties. I am libertarian, and even my own party can’t claim credit. Credit belongs to many folks starting with my wife and continuing through a long list of others like the amazing Women for Tulsa and many individuals who are part of the GOP.
“With that said, Ronda Vuillemont-Smith actively supported my opponent in the primary and I don’t recall her or any of the leadership contributing any funding or volunteers to my campaign thereafter. I am calling on Ronda to correct the record on the recent claim that was made regarding her helping me to win my seat on the city council.”
Bob Jack (asserted-6-year Treasurer and State Committeeman) objected to several comments by Candidate for Chairman Ron Causby in the story “Tulsa GOP Staggers to Convention.” By text message, Jack wants the record to show that the party has raised $200,000.00 but still declines to specify were it came from or where it went in detail.
Jack also asserted by text to Candidate Causby, “The bookkeeper and my self keep the electronic copy of the check register on our computers. The hard copy information is secured in a lock files cabinet in the office. That’s the procedure that has been followed since I became treasurer. Sorry for any confusion or misunderstanding.”
Charity Marcus has been criticized in direct mail for her support of Tulsa Black Lives Matter protest shutting down the Brookside business district. Rather than address that issue, Marcus, a candidate for State Committee, is playing the race card (most recently at a Tulsa Area Republican Assembly meeting). It’s character not skin color in question.
However, the most important witness testimony of current activity was from William Westfall who detailed questionable process of the Credentials Committee and who believes the Convention Delegates should not approve the Convention Rules as proposed.
Greetings County Delegates. I am William Westfall, Precinct 114 Chair and currently a volunteer on the Credentials Committee. I have served on the Credentials Committee for about 20 years so I am not a newbie. Back in February the Tulsa County GOP sent an email about the upcoming County Convention and gave a list of the Committees and their Chairs. Here is the list emailed on 03-13-23:
Our Committee Facilitators are: Rules: Bob Jack, Platform: Susan Phillips and Peggy Burgess, Credentials: Donny Tiemann and Ronda Vuillemont-Smith (OKGOP Credentials Chair).
I began discussions with our current GOP Chair Ronda Vuillemont-Smith about her being on the Credentials Committee as this is a Conflict of Interest since she is running for the position of Tulsa County GOP Chair again. I received no reply from Chair Smith. After many emails Bob Jack did reply and said he believed Ronda was not on the Credentials Committee as that would be a Conflict of Interest. I said then the County GOP needs to send out a corrected email where Ronda's name is not listed as on the Credentials Committee. Again I got no reply and no corrective email was sent.
This last Saturday, 03-18-23 we had our first Credentials Committee Meeting. At this first Credentials Committee Meeting we had Credentials Committee Chair - Donny Tiemann, Charity Marcus, Ronda Smith and we had about 4 other volunteers. Jenifer may have been there as some people left shortly after I arrived. I asked Terry Flattem earlier in the week who vetted the Delegates for the Convention. Terry said as far as he knows Ronda and Charity vetted the Delegates. I asked again at the Meeting and was told that Ronda and Jenifer vetted the Delegates. I stated this is a Conflict of Interest since you, Ronda are running for the Tulsa County GOP Chair Office again. No reply was given by Ronda. Many years ago the Credentials Committee Chair and Volunteers vetted all the Convention Delegates who signed up to attend the Convention. Over the years it has shifted from the Credentials Committee as a whole to a few on the Credentials Committee and now no one on the Credentials Committee is vetting any of the Delegates who signed up to attend the Convention. We need to return to only the Credentials Committed doing the vetting. Ronda did let me know that the County Chair is always considered a part of every Committee that the Chair oversees. Maybe?
This brings us to the current issue. The emails being sent out about the Delegate Registration specifically state that the Delegates MUST Pre-Register AND Pre-Pay to be a part of the County Convention. I checked the OKGOP State Rules and there is NOTHING that requires any Delegate to Pre-Register and Pre-Pay.
Here is a portion of Rule 3a: (a) Members: All citizens of Oklahoma are invited to join the Oklahoma Republican Party to perpetuate this Republic. All qualified voters of this state who are registered Republicans are members of the Oklahoma Republican Party, and shall have the right to participate in the official affairs and governance of the Republican Party in accordance with these rules as set forth herein. Underlining by me.
As far as the OKGOP Rules state you don't have to even Pay to attend any of the Official Affairs of the Oklahoma Republican Party. I emailed an inquiry to the County Chair and others on the County Committee asking where in the OKGOP Rules it states any Delegate has to Pre-Register and Pre-Pay to participate in the County or State Conventions. Again no reply from Ronda or any other member at the Tulsa GOP HQ. This Rule of Pre-Register and Pre-Pay was proposed by Ronda to the Tulsa County Executive Committee and the State Committee. It was unanimously approved by the County Executive Committee and passed by a majority of the State Committee. The only problem is neither Committee has the right to make any Rule that has not been approved by the Qualified Delegates at the County and State Conventions. So this unapproved Rule is being applied before the County Convention has even begun. This is out of order, putting the cart before the horse. Ronda is so bent on having this Software Supplier provide for the Registration and Payment Processing for this County Convention that she is disregarding the OKGOP State Rules. Ronda's influence has reached up to the State Committee and perhaps the State Chair as they will adopt this Pre-Registration AND Pre-Pay format so any Delegate who arrives on the Convention Day and HAS NOT Pre-Registered AND Pre-Paid will NOT be allowed to attend and participate in the Convention. This is totally against Rule 3a and other Rules in the OKGOP State Rules.
In the 2023 Proposed Rules for the County Convention as listed on the Tulsa GOP website it states:
II. PERMANENT ROLL
Pre-registered Delegates to the Convention must sign in for the Convention from 7:30 am until 9:00 am, Saturday 25 March 2023. The Credentials Committee report as adopted by the convention shall be conclusive of every such issue and shall constitute the Permanent Roll of this Convention.
The Pre-Registered provision is in these Proposed Rules and are NOT in the existing Rules from 2021 that we are still operating under. Any Qualified Delegate who HAS NOT Pre-Registered AND Pre-Paid before the Convention Date will NOT be allowed to attend or participate in the "official affairs and governance of the Republican Party" which is against our existing Rules. There is NO PROVISION made for Same Day Registration and Payments. We will have no ability to process any Payment or Register ANY Qualified Delegate who is not Pre-Registered and Pre-Paid. I have asked about this repeatedly and was told by Ronda at the Credentials Committee Meeting they, Donny and Ronda have no intention of allowing any Qualified Delegate into the Convention unless they already Pre-Registered and Pre-Paid.
Ronda told us that the Appeals Committee will NOT be allowed to give access of any Qualified Delegate who does not comply with the Pre-Registered and Pre-Pay Rule. No matter what the reason may be. Why even have an Appeals Committee if NO ONE will be allowed to attend and participate who have not Pre-Registered and Pre-Paid? There is an option on the Registration Website to not Pre-Pay, but you still have to go to the County GOP HQ and pay there before 5:00 PM Thursday 03-23-23.
This is the first time we are NOT allowing Qualified Delegates to Register and Pay on the Day of the Convention. We did use Eventbrite Software before and allowed Delegates to Pre-Register and Pre-Pay if they wanted to, but it was never MANDATORY COMPLIANCE to be able to participate at the County Convention. This is a Pre-Register and Pre-Pay or NO-PLAY Rule that is not even officially adopted by the Delegates. My recommendation is to call, email or go by the Tulsa Ok GOP HQ and complain because some Qualified Delegates will not be allowed to attend the Convention just because they did not Pre-Register and Pre-Pay. Only the input of the Qualified Delegates will make this change. ALSO I recommend DO NOT approve these Proposed Rules at the Convention. If you do we are stuck with this format until it gets voted out. They intend to introduce this Rule at the State Convention also. They will say "Tulsa County allowed this so we are going to allow this at the State Convention!" Even though it is NOT an Official Rule of the OKGOP Party at this time. No Rule Change is Official unless if is approved at the State Convention, not any County Convention. Nothing is Official unless the Delegates Vote to approve it!
Thank You and God Bless, William Westfall, Chairman Tulsa Precinct 114
In response to Westfall’s criticism, Delegate David Oldham wrote, “…there is no rules requirement to have same day registration or to disallow a pre-registration requirement. This actually gets to the heart of what I have been speaking about for months, rights and proper regulation. I see Mr. Westfall's letter as legitimately stating a disagreement with a particular decision, but nothing more. His opinion is purely subjective, and he cannot rightly claim rules violations with what he listed.”
Delegate and former-County Chair Mike Ford said he emailed “elected GOP officers over 10 days ago. They’re failing to recognize a few facts Ford wrote:
1. By allowing the exception to become the new rule, we are literally giving officers and committees the right to set delegate fees as high as they can be. If they get away with this, it will only get worse, and
2. If a qualified delegate shows up to the convention who didn’t see the emails and expects to participate, he or she cannot be disqualified. That’s a Rule 3(a) violation [by leadership]. Fees and preregistrations don’t qualify delegates. That happens at precinct meetings. Otherwise, what’s the point? Delegates who choose same-day registration don’t cause the delays. Weak credentials teams and poor planning do.”
It appears there will be Convention floor fights over several issues. With tongue planted firmly in cheeks some delegates suggest we all bring our own parliamentarians. Saturday’s Tulsa County Republican Convention should be interesting.
Oklahoma Representative Chris Banning (R Dist24) recently posted on his Facebook about his 2022 election. Many honor him for his service in the Airforce and on the frontlines of the rescue and recover mission for the Oklahoma City bombing. The United States Armed Forces awarded him the Humanitarian Service Medal for his service to Oklahoma City.
Rep. Banning wrote: The three of us knocked thousands of doors prior to the primary election.
During my campaign I had a GOP Chair knocking doors against me – in a Primary Election. Our GOP has to change this mindset. For the record, this was not the Tulsa GOP.
I’m not taking a stance on ANY GOP race but the GOP taking sides in a primary election is not okay with me. The people need to choose, not elected “GOP titles” knocking doors with a known name of GOP Chair. Especially a Chair in one of the counties in which you will represent. Now that I’m a State Representative I pray that NO GOP takes my side against another great candidate in a Primary Election. It’s my opinion that the GOP should allow the constituents of the party decide the best candidate.
My kids, so many others and I worked extremely hard during our campaign, and it was sad to see any GOP come against a good candidate in a primary election. I hope and pray this can stop one day.
Rep. Banning and this writer agree. County Party Officials must be neutral in the primaries so all may unite in general elections.
Great article, David!