El Sharko is hearing rumors of a potential “credentials challenge” at this weekend’s RPOF proceedings, and here’s why. There appears to be some question as to the protocol that was or wasn’t followed at the December meeting of the Republican Party of Sarasota (RPOS) Republican Executive Committee (REC). The facts as they have been divulged to the Shark Tank are as follows:
During the December 30th meeting of the RPOS, the REC held elections for its party officers, in accordance with its bylaws. However, what was not properly noted was that Sarasota County State Committeewoman Katie Bolon had resigned or was going to resign, effective the December 30th meeting, nor was notice given that that her replacement would be chosen then.According to eyewitnesses, Joe Gruters announced that Katie Bolon was temporarily resigning her committeewoman position because of the fact that she wouldn’t be able to make the the RPOF annual meeting to cast a vote for chairman and other elections, and Darlene Wood-Harvey would be elected her temporary replacement at this same December 30th meeting. It was also announced that Katie Bolon could be reelected at a later date to her previous position as state committeewoman.
Do you think the 2nd Amendment will be destroyed by the Biden Administration?(2)
However, this executive committee maneuver raises several issues.
1. The state committeewoman’s resignation and thus her vacancy of the position of state committeewoman was not duly noticed as per the rules, so no one other than those insiders who were privy to the information of Bolon’s resignation had any idea that this position was being vacated.
2. The election of state committeewoman was not a stated part of the agenda. The express purpose of this meeting was to elect the officers of the party, as this is done every two years. The state committee members are elected by Republican voters of the county every four years, and this is not an office that should have been up for election at this December 30th meeting. As such, because the election for state committeewoman was not noted, its validity is is questionable because it did not give notice to other potential candidates who might have been interested in running.3. Does Joe Gruters’ selection of Darlene Wood-Harvey (and her subsequent election) violate the spirit of the rule against proxy voting?