fairconvention.org... Let's follow the Rules

The below represents a sampling of some of the rule violations and major related events that have occurred around the state this cycle.

Latest Updates:

June 9-14 -- The 2008 State Convention of the Republican Party of Texas is held. The Credentials Committee bans audio and video recording and passes rules restricting which delegates can observe meetings. The Credentials Committee Chair refuses to allow the Nueces rump to come before the Committee or the General Session, and together with the State Chair refuses to allow two minority reports to be read. Delegates attempting to bring the issue before the Convention are threatened with police action.
June 13 -- The 1st Circuit Court of Appeals upholds the dismissal of the lawsuit regarding the order of the convention on the grounds that no monetary damages were claimed and the County Court therefore lacked jurisdiction. No ruling is made on the merits of the case.
June 11 -- Review of the Nueces County Precinct Convention Minutes reveals that over 150 delegates appear to have attended the County Convention without being elected at their Precinct Conventions, in flagrant violation of the Texas Election Code. Individuals alleged to be on this list include County Convention Committee chairmen, Republican candidates for public office, a sitting SREC member, and dozens of others.

March 4 -- Primary election and Precinct Conventions.
March 18-20 -- Tarrant County delegates request and receive access to copies of Precinct Convention Minutes under RPT Rule 22b. On reviewing these packets, they discover at least two have been altered to add additional delegates, including a Colleyville City Councilman, a Bush appointee, and their families. Challenges are filed against the offenders.
March 20-28 -- Delegates in other counties request access to copies of Precinct Convention Minutes in their counties under RPT Rule 22b; many are denied. In Dallas County, DCRP office workers indicate the State Party HQ has directed them not to provide access. In Nueces County, County Chair Mike Bertuzzi refuses to allow access to the packets and indicates he is in contact with the RPT Chair. Other affected counties include Brazoria and Parker.
March 15-28 -- Delegates around the state are similarly denied information regarding access to and ability to testify at County and SD Convention Committee meetings, despite this being a clear violation of RPT Rule 14. Counties affected include Parker and Hays.
March 29 -- County and SD Conventions. Officials at several Conventions continue to violate party rules, including:
- Nueces -- The Temporary Credentials Committee rejects Challenges filed against Chairman Bertuzzi for denying access to Precinct Convention Minutes, then proceeds to add Convention delegates who were not elected by their Precinct Conventions, including the Chairman of the Temporary Credentials Committee himself. Delegate objections and points of order raised at the Convention are ignored, with protests escalating until at least one delegate is physically removed. A Rump Convention is held. Audio is here:
- Parker -- Delegates arrive at 8am to attend the Temporary Credentials Committee meeting after the time was finally posted at the County Courthouse, but find the meeting actually began at 7:30 and ended at 7:58. When the Convention is called to order, challenges against Chairman Zan Prince are rejected as part of the Temporary Credentials Report. Requests to separate the report to vote individually on the challenges and the roll of delegates are denied with claims by the Chair the entire report must be passed as a whole or there will be no convention.
- Galveston -- Although Galveston contains two SDs and state law requires a convention for each, only one combined meeting is held with one chair, combined committees, and combined debate.
April 7-28 -- Challenges are filed against delegates to the State Convention due to the above and other violations.
April 28 -- Wharton County GOP Chair engages Gary Polland, Houston attorney and former Harris County GOP Chair, to open a dialogue with RPT HQ to ensure party rules and state law will be followed at the State Convention.
May 16 -- Nueces delegates file for a writ of mandamus with the Texas Supreme Court in a continuing attempt to access Precinct Convention Minutes as evidence delegates were added who were not elected.
May 20 -- The Officials Committee of the SREC meets as required by RPT Rule 27 to intially review challenges for validity and relevance, without regard to merit. Although this is a meeting of a Committee of the State Convention and therefore required to be open to all delegates and alternates, it is held as a private meeting and several delegates are denied admission both before and after the committee votes itself into Executive Session on the argument it is meeting as an SREC committee, not a State Convention committee. Most of the committee members attending arrive and leave through a back door; actual attendees are not known at this time. The current Party Chair and Vice-Chair, both of whom are themselves challenged, are voting members of this committee.
May 20-23 -- The Nueces filing for a writ of mandamus is denied without prejudice on May 20th due to a filing problem, and is refiled in the 13th Court of Appeals on May 23rd.
May 23 -- After continued delays are encountered while attempting to secure guarantees from RPT they will comply with state law at the Convention, Polland seeks affidavits from those who have experienced historic abuses and violations.
May 24 -- 13th Court of Appeals asks RPT and Bertuzzi for a response to the Nueces writ by May 30th. RPT asks for an extension as the documents requested are in Bertuzzi's possession. Nueces delegates subsequently remove RPT from the writ, leaving Bertuzzi with sole responsibility. As of June 2nd Bertuzzi has not responded to the Court.
May 26 -- Officials Committee responses to challenges arrive by mail. Some are forwarded to Credentials, some are rejected. The letters sent by RPT contain no detail on why some were rejected beyond a blanket reference to "the requirements listed in Rule 27 (b)." Several challenges filed jointly against multiple individuals are both rejected for some parties and upheld for others.
May 31 -- RPT Chair Tina Benkiser is asked about the Nueces writ and characterizes it as "a frivolous lawsuit" and states the party will seek sanctions.
June 3 -- Press Release states "GOP Grassroots Contemplate Enforcement Action to Insure Republican Party of Texas Compliance with Texas law."
June 3 -- June 4th Press Conference is announced.
June 3 -- 13th Court of Appeals rules that Nueces County Chairman Bertuzzi must grant access to precinct convention minutes by 5pm June 4th or mandamus will be granted.
June 4 -- Harris County Court grants a temporary restraining order against RPT doing business before the convention chair is elected.
June 9 -- The Harris County Court rules that the filing for a TRO was really a Writ of Mandamus and the Court therefore lacked jurisdiction.
June 11 -- Review of the Nueces County Precinct Convention Minutes reveals that over 150 delegates appear to have attended the County Convention without being elected at their Precinct Conventions, in flagrant violation of the Texas Election Code. Individuals alleged to be on this list include County Convention Committee chairmen, Republican candidates for public office, a sitting SREC member, and dozens of others.
June 13 -- The 1st Circuit Court of Appeals upholds the dismissal of the lawsuit regarding the order of the convention on the grounds that no monetary damages were claimed and the County Court therefore lacked jurisdiction. No ruling is made on the merits of the case.
June 9-14 -- The 2008 State Convention of the Republican Party of Texas is held. The Credentials Committee bans audio and video recording and passes rules restricting which delegates can observe meetings. The Credentials Committee Chair refuses to allow the Nueces rump to come before the Committee or the General Session, and together with the State Chair refuses to allow two minority reports to be read. Delegates attempting to bring the issue before the Convention are threatened with police action.