By: Paul Yeager
Often, significant things are revealed to us as we prepare for bed. As I perused Facebook last night, I came upon the following post by fellow Patriot Lynette Crump Ramsey:
So, reading the Plan of Organization tonight…you know, bedtime stories and all…anyway, it jumped out at me…the part about the state finance committee. The COMMITTEE is tasked with raising the money to properly finance the business and affairs of the Party. This committee consists of the State Finance Chair, The Congressional Finance chairs, and the State Chairman. If raising money is an issue….maybe they should look at what the Plan says… My question is “do they really even know what their rulebook says?”
Lynette raises an excellent point. Just what does the Plan of Organization say on the matter? Article VI contains the following on page 21:
D. STATE FINANCE COMMITTEE
1. Membership
The Finance Committee shall consist of the State Finance Chairman, the Congressional District Finance Chairmen and the State Chairman. The State Finance Chairman shall serve as the Chairman of the State Finance Committee. Other Officers as may be deemed necessary may be elected by the Members of the Committee.
2. Powers and Duties
It shall be the duty of the State Finance Committee to develop ways and means to properly finance the General Election campaigns and other businesses and affairs of the Republican Party. The Committee shall manage a united fund-raising effort in cooperation with the State Central Committee and District and County Organizations for effective fund-raising campaigns. Said Committee shall not, directly or indirectly, raise or collect funds for the benefit of any candidates in Primary Elections. All persons making contributions to the State Party of $100.00 or more shall be furnished with a receipt thereof.
Contributions going directly to the National Committee or to any candidate shall not be acknowledged by the State Treasurer or recorded as a regular contribution to the Republican Party of North Carolina. A permanent record of all contributions shall be maintained by the State Chairman and the State Treasurer, and such records shall be available, upon request, to the appropriate County and District Chairmen.
Note the sentence “It shall be the duty of the State Finance Committee to develop ways and means to properly finance the General Election campaigns and other businesses and affairs of the Republican Party.”
It would therefore appear that at least one of the claims that have been made against the Chairman are disingenuous and/or ignorant of the facts. As astute followers of this web site have seen, there are others.
And in response to Lynette’s question posed in her Facebook post, my reply is “They probably know, but I have seen scant evidence that they care”.