Another Do Nothing Executive Committee Meeting | Eastern NC Now

Another Do Nothing Executive Committee Meeting

BY: HOOD RICHARDSON

The Beaufort County Republican Executive Committee met on Tuesday February 12 at 6:00 PM at King Chicken Restaurant in Washington. More than 30 people were present. Candidates for office were allowed to speak.

Upon entering the meeting room, I observed a meeting taking place at the front of the room. Sitting around the table were: Paul Varcoe, Representative Keith Kidwell, Carolyn Garris, Steve Rader, Ms. Brickhouse from the Bath area, Jessica Van Essendelft, Ashley Woolard, Scarlet Stokes and maybe another one or two. Could this be the mysterious and elusive “Victory Committee? I am still waiting on Queen Garris to tell us who is on this committee and when the Executive Committee approved their appointments and prescribed their duties and responsibilities.

A Treasurer’s report was presented. I asked to be recognized to ask a question about the Treasurers report. The Chairman, Queen Garris, refused to recognize me and stated that she would not recognize me. She never stated that I was out of order or why she refused to recognize me. Perhaps she knew I would ask who authorized the $10,465 spent on advertising for the nonpartisan City of Washington elections. Part of this money was used to attack elected Republicans, myself being one of them. I was not a candidate in these elections.

Anthony Fucito, the Secretary of the Executive Committee, presented the minutes. The minutes have become a series of one-line paragraphs. This is how covering up the questions asked and the fact that Queen Garris refuses to allow anyone who has a question about corruption is never documented.

Ashley Woolard made a motion to change the name of the Reagan Day dinner to the Trump-Reagan Day Dinner. It passed with the Garris supporters voting for it and the conservatives abstaining or remaining mute.

I tried to ask a question when the announcement was made about the precinct meetings and county convention. I was told that I would not be recognized. I wanted to request that the precinct meetings not be scheduled the same night as the Conservative Club meets. Queen Garris does everything she can to interfere with Conservative Club meetings.

Queen Garris gave a report on the two forums that were held on January 30 and February 12. I tried to ask a question and again was refused recognition. My question would have been, “When did the Executive Committee approve having these forums?” These events were never approved by the Executive Committee, so who is making these decisions? Is it the phantom “Victory Committee”. Who is authorizing the Treasurer, David French to write these checks?

Queen Garris announced there would be a ten-minute break before the business session began. At the end of the ten minutes Garris asked all nonvoting members to leave the room. The three of us, Sherri Clark, Janet Knight and myself, who have been excommunicated by Garris, were asked to leave the room. Garris by herself does not have the authority to strip any person elected by the convention or any ex-officio member of their credentials and rights. There is a separate procedure for this. The Republican Party is not run by a dictator.

We again refused to leave because we are members and have a right to attend. Actually, any registered Republican has the same rights. Garris claims she wants to discuss the threatened lawsuit by Adam O’Neal. However, she fails to list any specific business on the agenda. She is attempting to do all business in secret. Garris’ goal is to get those who oppose her corruption of the party rules out of the room so her cronies can prevail. That is not allowed by the party rules. There is a procedure to go into closed session to discuss only legal matters. Garris does not use it.

Buzz Cayton tried to be recognized and was denied several times. He was told he would not be recognized. Only the FOG (Friends Of Garris) are allowed to speak.

One of Garris’s errors in these meetings is that she did not separate new business from the executive session.

A motion was made by John Rebholz to adjourn. Garris again is trying to set up a situation to claim that those who she does not like are disrupting the meetings. She will try to convince the Party in Raleigh that we are disruptive.

The Conservative Club has sample ballots and palm cards for our approved candidates. Get them at my office or the polls.