Oklahoma City, OK (MMD Newswire) August 14, 2012 -- Thirteen delegates to the 2012 Oklahoma State Republican Party Convention are in the process of challenging the election of the "Delegate Slate". Representing all parts of the state, the Challengers - known as Contestants by GOP Rules - site Rule 18(D), which calls for a "secret ballot" vote known as a "Roll Call Vote". Video evidence shows this did not occur. The Contestants seek to have the 25 At-Large Delegate and 25 At-Large Alternate positions declared vacant, and then seek to have them filled per National Republican Party Rules.
The initial action - known as the Notice of Contest - was filed on July 26th. This document contains the Statement of Grounds, or the reasons for the Challenge. This document was followed with the Statement of Position, and the accompanying detailed evidence. The attorneys for the Respondents - as those being challenged are called in GOP rules - filed their Statement of Position on August 6th, along with their evidence. These documents were then assembled for review by legal staff of the RNC Counsel's office, and presented to the Committee on Contests.
On Friday, August 10th, the Committee on Contests released their Report and Recommendation for Resolution to both Contestants and Respondents. The finding is as follows, from Section IV. Analysis:
The Committee finds that the Contestants did not meet their burden of proof regarding the certification of Oklahoma's National Convention delegation. The Committee determined that the voice vote and the standing vote on the delegate slate constituted a ballot to elect the delegates to the National Convention. In addition, Contestants fail to allege or prove that a different method of balloting would have altered the outcome of the election. Therefore, the Committee can find no basis for disrupting the result of the vote taken at the Convention.
The Conservative Values Delegate Slate will now take this opportunity to stand for the principle of a secret ballot, as well as the Rules of the Republican Party. Additional evidence, allowed for in the Committee's procedures, will be introduced to counter inaccurate allegations made in the Respondent Statement of Position, Affidavits and Exhibits. Included in this evidence are both video and written evidence contradicting submitted documents of the Respondents. Additional background on the story can be found at this link.
This effort is not supported by or funded by any Presidential Campaign, but is an action of those who believe in standing up for the Rules of the Party.
All documents cited in this Press Release are available at www.okliberty.com under the "documents" tab. Video will be added as time allows.
Contact:
Steve Dickson
Oklahoma Conservative Values Delegates
2221 NW 45th
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
Phone 405-206-4041
steve@stevedickson.com
www.okliberty.com