Tulsa GOP staggers to convention
This local political cycle in Tulsa, Republican Party controversy has built from a contentious 2021 convention and is now playing out on social media, by text, mail, and email ahead of the upcoming March 25 Convention. This week, former-Chair Mike Ford is calling for a County Committee meeting prior to the Convention to adjudicate issues.
It’s not an exact parallel of the 1986 Western Comedy film, the “Three Amigos,” but leading the defense of the establishment’s power are Chair Ronda V. Smith, former-Chair Bob Jack, and Charity Marcus. The key dispute is the party’s involvement in primary races which has been obvious and repeated – dividing the rank and file and costing Republicans in general elections.
At the March Republican Men’s Club meeting, Chair Smith claimed that she has raised $200,000.00 for the party. No record of this money has been found to date on the Oklahoma Ethics Commission’s Guardian website as this writer has covered (here for more.)
Charity Marcus is a social media maven and professional campaign manager that has conducted multiple races for both Republicans and Democrats. She has been active with many community groups and posted a selfie-video supporting Tulsa’s Black Lives Matter’s effort to shut down Tulsa’s Brookside businesses district. This writer spoke with Marcus questioning that video months ago, but she said she was comfortable with it, it was her position, and she would keep it public. Marcus built the Republican Party of Tulsa County (RPTC) website and is the only known active professional campaign manager with apparent full access to lists of Republican donors, fundraising events, precinct workers and voters under Chair Smith’s administration.
Former-Chair Bob Jack recently ran for County Commissioner earning less than forty percent of the vote in his primary run-off despite the strong official support of Chair Ronda – one reason the Tulsa County party is so divided. Jack is a State Committeeman and was recently named by Chair Smith as Chair of her newly formed Election Integrity Committee. (Oh, the irony.) Jack is currently in Federal Court suing his national campaign firm over thousands of pieces of ballot harvesting mail distributed during his campaign. Jack says he did not approve of the identifying information provided on that mail which violated Oklahoma Law but does not dispute the law was broken – just that he is not responsible for action taken by vendor(s) of his campaign. No decision on a criminal filing has been made as of this date by the Tulsa District Attorney’s Office.
The County Party web site notes, “The Election Integrity Committee is the voice of the party with our local and state election boards. They focus on ensuring Tulsa County and Oklahoma have free and fair elections, monitoring voter [rolls], keep an eye on absentee ballot, and advocate for policies and laws that protect our election system.”
Former-chair Mike Ford wrote March 13th to RPTC elected officers calling for a County Committee meeting prior to the convention to adjudicate violations by current leadership. Ford wrote on the same topic to members of the appointed Executive Committee March 15th.
Ford wrote in part, “As a member of the Tulsa GOP County Committee, I call on Chairwoman Ronda Smith and Vice Chairwoman Jennifer Stevens call an emergency County Committee meeting PRIOR TO THE COUNTY CONVENTION to review and question them (and the Tulsa GOP County Treasurer) regarding the finances to determine if Rule 19(g)1 has been violated…
“And also, to determine if Ronda Smith should be removed for violations of Rules 3(a), 5(a), 16(a) and 16(c). The OKGOP Rules state in Rule 19(g) these officers and committee members can ‘be removed at ANY TIME for cause by a majority vote of the existing membership of the Committee,’” Ford wrote.
Ford told this writer he has not received any response to date on his questions of fact, finance, or application of OKGOP Rules during Chair Smith’s rein. The candidate running to replace her, Ron Causby has, on social media, asked serious questions that, to his credit, Bob Jack has volunteered to answer. Let’s hope those answers are widely shared quickly.
The Three Amigos mentioned above have asserted to some delegates that this writer, Mike Ford, and others they don’t like are working together to attack them unfairly. While I have quoted many in various stories, there is no “grand conspiracy,” but party people communicate, and party leadership are not anointed with perfection. They are subject to public examination once elected and Republicans are a group generally dedicated to critical considerations, honor, and honesty.
Chair Smith, however, organized a campaign of lies against her first opponent, Darren Gantz, to first gain her office. Smith’s personality cult used a lie to win by distorting a debate her minions pushed. A falsehood one delivered directly to the man lied about. They didn’t recognize him in person.
Joe Hart said, “The event that they were talking about was a debate when Darren was President of the Tulsa Republican Men’s Club when both sides of the National Popular Vote issue debated. That was common for both sides on any issue to debate at the club when Darren was President – it didn’t mean he took one side or the other. I thought Republicans supported the First Amendment and welcomed serious debate on issues,” Hart continued. “For some reason, Darren’s critics thought that was a bad idea. I found that very dishonest and improper to do that at a convention. I thought Republicans held themselves to a higher standard. I guess not all do.”
The Republican Party of Tulsa County will get through this Convention and (God willing and the creek don’t rise) these political wounds will heal. It is past time for the Republican Party of Tulsa County to heal. At the end of the day, Republicans may not all be sane, but Leftist Democrats are certifiably bat-poop-crazy, and patriots have a nation to save.
Good Morning Tulsa 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 Conventions 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.
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!