Comments by Van Zant | Eastern NC Now

Just to add: In North Carolina, the Open Meetings Law requires that meetings of public bodies, including political party committees, to be conducted openly to ensure transparency. Exceptions are very specific: The only exceptions to this are generally related to personnel matters and very specified examples listed in the statutes. Pertaining to political meetings only internal campaign strategy and situations when political committees are working in conjunction with official bodies on situations such as filling vacancies. There is NO exception for general business or anything outside of the very specific things listed.

So, what are these people trying to hide? I would wager they are working very hard to hide the crimes that have been exposed by the articles on this site and by the long list of victims that are protesting the wrongs that have been wrought on them.

This sorry situation is a textbook example of why transparency is so important and why honesty and virtue are things to look for in our leaders.

Commented: Wednesday, February 4th, 2026 @ 9:30 am By: Van Zant

What hogwash. The Chair and her inner circle do not have the legitimate power to be the Executive Committee unilaterally. I've spoken with many of the Conservative Republican Club members that are also on the Beaufort County Republican Party Executive Committee. They all said that in Conservative Club meetings, they have given the recusal vote speech on some matters because of conflict of interest so many times that most of them don't even do it anymore for the sake of time. They just don't vote or vote recuse. If the present-day Beaufort County Republican Party would have a hearing this all could come out, but that is not what these power mongers want. They want an exclusive party and sole control of it.

The way this is going under the 'leadership' of these monsters, an executive committee meeting will be listening to speeches from their favorites, finish running all (those undesirable-to them), conservatives off, sing a little self-congratulation song, and let that shadowy "Victory Committee," who-ever-they-are, handle all the Executive Committee business and report to no one. This is not an executive committee operating under the Plan of Organization. It is the Mafia.

These people have illegally erased the results of the last county convention and are now illegally running the party with an illegal shadow committee. They are not operating under any legal Republican Party Plan of Organization.

Commented: Sunday, February 1st, 2026 @ 12:02 am By: Van Zant

T be T just keeps saying stuff not based on anything. She's like a petulant child only more dishonest.

Commented: Friday, January 30th, 2026 @ 5:46 am By: Van Zant

It is incredible that these RINOs are attacking private citizens and private clubs when they are illegally running the local Republican Party, a sanctioned Republican organization. They are working well outside of their own plan of organization and the state plan of organization. These RINOs have hijacked the legitimate Party and excluded the legitimate Executive Committee while illegally removing elected members they do not like and cannot control. It appears that, "Heil Hitler" was an appropriate response.

Commented: Tuesday, January 27th, 2026 @ 6:15 pm By: Van Zant

We agree. The present-day Executive Committee is not being allowed to conduct the business of the local Republican Party. The local Republican Party has been turned into a political machine for insiders.

Commented: Monday, January 26th, 2026 @ 7:17 am By: Van Zant

Stan: I know several Republican candidates, and they are not happy with this party situation, especially extending into their primaries. I guess the only Republican candidates that could be alright with any of this are the ones that are actually part of or affiliated with this corrupt political machine. I suppose this is what they want. For me that's a good reason not to vote for the candidates aligned with this corrupt monstrosity of a party.

It's time for all to be disclosed and dealt with. Let the chips fall where they may. Time for some resignations, because I believe there is plenty of guilt to go around.

Commented: Thursday, January 22nd, 2026 @ 9:00 pm By: Van Zant

There are the Plan of Organization rules and there are the Garris rules. They are incompatible, because the Garris rules are violations of the official rules. It appears that the committee needs to have a meeting without Ms. Garris leading it. I do not have any confidence that she will deal with any of the issues that should be before the committee unless she can put together some kind of flimflam configuration of the board where she can sweep all this under the rug. This is a sad state of affairs.

It seems to me the committee should meet with a vice-chair leading it, unless Ms. Garris has unlawfully excommunicated ALL of the vice-chairs at this point in time. There should also be an observer assigned from the district or state level. Everything should be put before the committee and dealt with under the Plan of Organization of the party. This does not need to drag on any longer. Deal with all of it honestly - every bit of it.

Commented: Wednesday, January 21st, 2026 @ 6:37 pm By: Van Zant

I've got more questions and concerns regarding the unscrupulous people in the local party. About this "Victory Committee:" Who is on it besides Carolyn Garris and Keith Kidwell? I've asked executive committee members that I know and they tell me who they think may be on the committee, but they don't know for sure. Let that sink in. Executive Committee members do not even know who is on one of their standing committees.

Also, under Powers and Duties of the county plan the County Chair and Vice-Chair shall be ex-officio members of all committees. Have the present-day 1st Vice-Chair or 2nd Vice-Chair ever attended a "Victory Committee" meeting? The current 2nd Vice-Chair has been "pronounced" off the executive committee solely on the made-up authority of Chairperson Garris and the rumor of dubious testimony to her from her Philly friend that has a long record of lying and scheming to legendary heights of dishonesty. I get the feeling that these duly elected officers are not welcome on this shadow committee or any other committee. That is just one more rule violation by these people that have no respect at all for rules.

Consider this: The "Victory Committee" was not formed by the existing Beaufort County Executive Committee. I'm led to believe it was created by present Chairperson Garris with the possible blessing of the previous executive committee before the last county convention or not. This is surely not a legal committee at this time.

Also consider this: The "Victory Committee" does not report to the Beaufort County Republican Party Executive Committee. This is not legal either.

And consider this: The "Victory Committee" acts independently of the Executive Committee and spends money independently of the Executive Committee. At this time, they are illegally acting in place of the Beaufort County Republican Party Executive Committee.

If there is a more corrupt party organization in the state of North Carolina than this one, I would be very surprised. They make past serious indiscretions of previous committees look like Sunday school. They are a disgrace.

RH: I agree, Monica Davis running for school board in district 6 looks like a Lib plant and many of us can guess by who. Her incumbent Republican opponent is solid. That is an easy choice. Vote Rader in district 6.
The NC House District 79 race is more complicated simply because thuggery and harassment is not an issue by some and is an issue by others; especially when it involves friends and family.

Commented: Tuesday, January 20th, 2026 @ 7:30 pm By: Van Zant

Stan: Yes, there have been some unscrupulous characters in the local party. But as you correctly pointed out there was in the past always a large element of the Beaufort County GOP that could be depended on to be straight up, and they had some power and influence in the party. At times they had a lot of power in the party. Presently there are still good people in the GOP, but they are under such ruthless, devious and sometimes violent attacks from the unscrupulous elements that they do not have power like in the past. The credible people are beaten down because they are under constant attack by thugs that want this as their private club and as a base for their corrupt ventures.

I think the 2019 (Yellow Sheet) county convention was a dividing line. We found out then how much some of these people truly hate us. Time has proven the haters bring nothing good to our community. Because of the harm they have done, the party badly needs reform. At the very least, bring it back under the plan of organization and basic decency. That's really not too much to expect.

In the meantime, the community and Republican candidates have to put up with this crap party.

Commented: Monday, January 19th, 2026 @ 6:04 pm By: Van Zant

CT: I think you've hit the nail on the head. It appears that Monica Davis and the Walkers have much in common politically. Steve Rader is clearly the conservative in this race.

Commented: Saturday, January 17th, 2026 @ 10:38 pm By: Van Zant

The self-proclaimed "real Republicans" are everything they claim others are: It's hypocrisy. It's worse than hypocrisy. I also believe there is not much these people are not capable of in the form of perniciousness.

I wish Adam O'Neal the best in defending himself against the fake party attack (by the so called "real Republicans") by way of that tape paid for by the county Republican Party but not authorized by the Republican Party Executive Committee. The Chairperson and the Treasurer would have a lot of explaining to do in any legitimate organization. It's been months and there are still no explanations in this committee led by swindler party officers. In an above-board organization, that would not be appropriate. These crooks are furiously working to sweep all this under the rug, leaving a trail of new attacks on more innocent people. The trail of mistreated local Republicans is getting longer and longer.

Just months ago, there was the uncalled-for bullying of a Republican School Board member. A few years ago, there was the false party charges on a now sitting member of the County Commission. It took outside arbitration to clear this innocent Republican from the viciousness of these people. Now it's two innocent county executive committee members. One is a vice chairperson.

The scoundrels that "Brandon" represents are not interested in a united Republican Party. He said as much in his statement. A successful party to them is to excommunicate everyone that is not in their crowd. These people have a long history of using noxious tactics in their quest to purge the party of everyone not conforming to their lawlessness, their lack of adherence to the Republican Party platform for guidance in governance, and their outright hatefulness.

What they have created is not a strong party. They have created an exclusive party. They have created a corrupt party.

Commented: Friday, January 16th, 2026 @ 10:39 pm By: Van Zant

It seems like Chairwoman Garris & Company are using this illegal and unaccountable "Victory Committee" to plan and spend on pet projects without Beaufort County Executive Committee approval. While doing this they are placing the Beaufort County Republican Party label on the unauthorized actions. They have in effect created a de facto political action committee paid for by the county Republican Party and using the authority of the Beaufort County Republican Party which was not given.

It appears that Garris & Friends are doing what they are accusing others of doing and then demanding innocent people "automatically resign" with no due process so they cannot bring her to account for her abuse of power. She ignores all legitimate committee functions, including hearings for people she says are off the committee because of her pronouncements. She has made a mockery of the plan of organization.

The legitimate authority of the Beaufort County Republican Party comes from the advice and consent of the Beaufort County Republican Party Executive Committee and not some secret unauthorized cabal of characters. The things going on here constitute fraud on a multitude of levels.

From what I'm hearing, I doubt this can be sorted out without honest outside arbitration.

Commented: Tuesday, January 13th, 2026 @ 4:37 pm By: Van Zant

Faced with attempts to review and bring some accountability to all the shady business done by these party thugs lately, the party thugs are actually doubling down and attacking more good people with ridiculous charges and no due process whatsoever. To the apologists (maybe it's not plural) for these gangsters that say this is small potatoes next to the important work these ruthless perpetrators of evil are doing politically, I say BS. Perhaps the apologists are actually the perpetrators. If not, they are just as guilty.

Innocent people are being mistreated. That means something to me. It should mean something to any fair-minded person.

Commented: Sunday, January 11th, 2026 @ 8:23 am By: Van Zant

News Flash - The Beaufort County Republican Party is STILL not conducting legal business. They are being run by an illegal shadow committee with no oversight. At this time, they are attempting to purge people they do not like from the executive committee illegally with no legitimate committee process. They are worse than the mafia and it is not even arguable. The people that have hijacked the party are very bad people.

Commented: Friday, January 9th, 2026 @ 7:09 pm By: Van Zant

P.S. - Personal destruction is a bit more than a personal slight or insult. There are things being cooked up by these haters AS WE SPEAK.

Commented: Thursday, January 8th, 2026 @ 10:44 am By: Van Zant

Asking people to support someone who hates them is asking a lot. The guy that hates me is not likely to be my choice to represent me. Furthermore, others can't decide what means something to me. My friends and my representatives that are under vicious attack do mean something to me. Nobody gets a free pass to do anything card. Nobody should. NO one person is that important.

I don't know what I'm going to do. I do know I'll not be bullied and coerced into anything. Those tactics do not inspire my loyalty or my trust.

Commented: Thursday, January 8th, 2026 @ 8:10 am By: Van Zant

It's actually the opposite of what TBT is saying. The county commission is presently being controlled by an alliance of two recent Democrats with two still registered Democrats. That gives this coalition a four to three ruling majority. The Beaufort County Republican Party backs the two recent Democrats that changed to Republican to get elected. The misinformation is coming from TBT.

Commented: Tuesday, January 6th, 2026 @ 10:25 am By: Van Zant