The party’s Executive Committee chair, Laura Rosenberger, called the meeting by those members a failed coup attempt and does not recognize the series of votes taken by them.
The votes were the culmination of a months-long dispute involving chairs Rosenberger and William Lindsey (Central Committee) and their supporters vs. others who said they lacked confidence in the abilities of leadership and alleged they failed to follow rules.
Rosenberger and Lindsey didn’t attend the meeting Thursday night in downtown Springfield. Rosenberger said in an email that group has “now failed 3 times to stage a coup.”
Rosenberger referenced plans to disrupt meetings by those attempting to remove leadership, saying “premeditated plans” to stop an official government meeting “is a federal crime.” She said the Thursday meeting was “legally meaningless” because it was not properly called by the committee and organized by the chair.
“If these fake Republicans had put as much time, money and effort into winning the current election as opposed to three failed coup attempts and a witch hunt ... Clark County Republicans might have a better chance at winning Nov. 7,” Rosenberger wrote. “These rogue elements have done a tremendous disservice to local Republicans and have abandoned their oath of loyalty to the party.”
Those in Thursday’s meeting elected Jeannette Chu as the chairperson of the executive committee and Jim Stickford as the chairperson of the central committee.
Chu declined to comment. Stickford did not return messages seeking comment.
Earlier last week, Scott Pullins, an attorney who said he was serving as special counsel to the Clark County Republican Party, had sent Stickford a demand to cease and desist. Pullins argued Stickford lacked the legal authority and authority under party bylaws to call a meeting and conduct actions.
“As a result, it is legally null and void, and any action taken there will not be lawful and proper,” Pullins wrote in the letter dated Oct. 31. “Your continued actions to harm the party will likely result in your expulsion as a member and an officer of the committees and may include additional legal actions,”
Pullins also was an attorney on actions Rosenberger filed as the lead plaintiff against the Ohio Republican Party, Ohio Republican Party chair Robert Paduchik and party treasurer Dave Johnson, alleging that more than $3 million of the party’s funds “may have been improperly misappropriated, misreported, and/or otherwise improperly expended.” A Franklin County judge ruled against Rosenberger in June of 2022, and last month, Rosenberger lost an appeal in the state Court of Appeals to file an amended complaint in the case.
State party officials have been critical of Rosenberger’s lawsuit, but attempts by the News-Sun to get state leaders to comment on the local leadership dispute were unsuccessful.
In another sign of the party’s divisions, Rosenberger had sought temporary restraining orders against five members of the party, but Judge Thomas Capper rejected the requests on behalf of the party last week, saying he lacked jurisdiction to rule in favor of the party as a protected group. Rosenberger later withdrew her individual requests.
The News-Sun previously reported about two dozen individuals identifying themselves as members of the Clark County Republican Party Central Committee and/or the Executive Committee signed a document indicating Lindsey and Rosenberger have a history of breaking the rules, changing scheduled meetings without consent, unlawfully attempting to remove party members, being “hostile” to Republican voters and more.
Rosenberger, who began her leadership term in June 2022, has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and said she has worked to root out corruption and ensure financial responsibility of the party.
She previously told the News-Sun that by signing the petition, some of the members are “actively engaging in the internal destruction of the Clark County Republican Party by sowing division and hatred where none existed.”
The group that voted Thursday to remove Lindsey and Rosenberger also removed the secretary and treasurer from their Central Committee roles.
The vote against Lindsey was 32-1 with an abstention, while the vote against Rosenberger was 33-0 with an abstention.
“So nothing they did Nov. 2 has an effect on the current leadership. We are still the officers and will remain as officers until our natural terms end,” Rosenberger said.
About the Authors
