Tag: Republican Party of Los Angeles County

THE FACTS ABOUT THE “FREEDOM SLATE” FOR THE 42ND ASSEMBLY DISTRICT

Most of you are unaware of the inner workings of the politics of The Republican Party of Los Angeles County (RPLAC). Some of you have signed up to show your support for the so-called “Freedom Slate” of the 42nd Assembly District on Facebook or on their website, I thought you should be informed as to who they really are and what their real expressed intent is.

Leading the “Freedom Slate” is Rick Williams. Rick Williams is the attorney representing Robert Vaughn. Robert Vaughn is the person erroneously holding himself out as the “Chairman” of RPLAC, and is currently running a shadow group calling itself RPLAC. Robert Vaughn is also the person suing RPLAC and its Executive Board members personally through Rick Williams. The lawsuit seeks a gag order against the elected RPLAC board and also seeks to prohibit them from calling meetings of Republicans in Los Angeles.

That lawsuit is costing the LA County Republican Party tens of thousands of dollars, just to oppose the lawsuit by filing a motion to strike it as a “SLAPP” – strategic lawsuit against public participation. We understand they are now about to file a motion to enjoin the elected RPLAC Board from calling itself RPLAC, and possibly taking other action on behalf of the party. How many more tens of thousands of dollars of county party money will that cost?

That is money that should be going to support our Republican candidates to get elected in Los Angeles County, and instead is being used to pay lawyers to defend us in a frivolous lawsuit handled by Rick Williams. We haven’t even gotten to court yet, so the total cost will be much higher. How critical would those funds be today if we could spend them on candidate support, purchasing slate cards, helping with lawn signs and other candidate support, instead of spending those funds on defending lawsuits or getting frivolous suits thrown out?

You might be wondering how Robert Vaughn and Rick Williams got to know each other. Robert Vaughn was the Los Angeles Chairman of the Ron Paul for President campaign in 2008. Rick Williams also worked on the Ron Paul campaign.  Rick Williams’ law partner is the former State Chairman of the California Democratic Party.

Many of you joined the Freedom Slate Facebook group or website because it is being promoted by David Hernandez. I like David, as I am sure you do. However, in this instance I believe David is seriously misguided, and has been unfortunately convinced to take up a cause which is not worthy of his long and commendable service to conservative causes in Los Angeles County.

It is my belief, along with many others, that the Freedom Slate is an attempt to gain control of the Republican Party of Los Angeles County through the back door. If they can get enough of the Robert Vaughn group on the 42nd AD central committee, it will give them a foothold to take over the Party. This is not just conjecture. It is a stated objective on their web site.

Further, the so-called Freedom Slate is coming from a place of intolerance. Rick Williams has been heard to comment at RWF meetings he has spoken at, that it is time to remove the gays from the 42nd AD central committee. Rick may be unaware that West Hollywood – home to many gays, Republican and Democrat – makes up a substantial part of the 42nd Assembly District. Is he saying that West Hollywood should not have representation on the Central Committee? The following is a comment from an article Rick Williams wrote which appears on their website:

“Four of the incumbent candidates are special interest advocates– interested in only the single issue of advancing the cause of gay marriage. Well . . . with all due respect to our four incumbent friends, the issue of gay marriage ranks pretty close to the bottom of the political priority list in a time where the state of California and the city of Los Angeles are bankrupt, and good hearted people are losing their jobs and their homes in an avalanche of economic collapse.”

 This type of rhetoric is an attempt to disguise an intolerance for gay Republicans. I sit on the 42nd AD central committee and work with its members. While there are a handful of gay members on the current central committee, I can tell you that the furthest thing from their mind is gay marriage. They are not single interest advocates. I have not heard the words gay marriage once during any central committee meeting in the past year and one half that this central committee has been active. These men are more interested in loss of liberty, economic concerns, employment concerns, getting Republicans elected, and preventing the enormous expansion of government.   Hurtful rhetoric from “freedom slate” candidates reveals their true agenda.

Another misstatement from the “Freedom” slate concerns the motivations of other candidates:

“The other candidates running against the Freedomslate seem primarily interested in . . . running against the Freedomslate. These other candidates are the “status quo” offering favored by the existing old guard Party leadership. The old guard message goes something like this: Heaven forbid that the Freedomslate people might actually change something!”

Well, I am one of the other candidates running for the 42nd Assembly District Central Committee on the “Take Back Los Angeles County” slate. I am not running against the Freedom Slate, nor are any of my fellow slate candidates. We are running for the office.

Now, do any of you who know me honestly believe that I am primarily interested in “…running against the Freedomslate?” Do any of you who support the Freedom Slate believe that I am not contributing an extraordinary part of my daily life to supporting conservative causes in Los Angeles County, or that I am not doing everything I can to get new young conservative candidates elected to office in Los Angeles County? So are many of the people running with me for the 42nd AD central committee on the Take Back Los Angeles County slate.

 Do any of you who know me believe that I am not interested in bringing in new leadership? I have been working my butt off (a political technical term) to bring in new leadership in the county party. I am supporting all kinds of new fresh faces who are running for office, or are running for central committee. I, along with the other candidates running on the Take Back Los Angeles County slate, support new leadership. What we don’t support is deception and strategy designed to do a back-door takeover.

 You might be wondering who is on the Take Back Los Angeles County slate for the 42nd Assembly District? Here they are:

 GARY A. AMINOFF
Commercial Real Estate Broker
Current Positions:
First Vice Chairman, The Republican Party of Los Angeles County
President, San Fernando Valley Republican Club
Member, Executive Committee, California Republican Party
Member, 42nd Assembly District Republican Central Committee
President, Chatsworth-Northridge Republican Assembly
Board of Directors, California Republican Assembly
Author/blogger at Bear to the Right
Prior Positions:
Co-Organizer of the February 27, 2009 and the April 15, 2009 Tea Party Rallys
West Los Angeles/San Fernando Valley Chair – McCain for President 2007-2008
Los Angeles County Chair – Rudy Guiliani for President – 2007
Los Angeles County Co-Chair, Schwarzenegger for Governor – 2006
Former Treasurer of the Republican Party of LA County 2006-2009
San Fernando Valley Chair, Bush-Cheney campaign 2004
San Fernando Valley Co-Chair, Grey Davis Recall – 2003
San Fernando Valley Co-Chair, Schwarzenegger for Governor 2003
 (I won’t bother to list the rest)

BRAD TORGAN
Attorney and Small Business Owner
Member, California Republican Party Central Committee
Appointed Member, 42nd Assembly District Central Committee
Vice President – Log Cabin Republicans, Los Angeles
Member, West Hollywood Historic Preservation Commission
Member, Congregation Kol Ami
Former General Counsel, California Department of Parks and Recreation

PAUL MORGAN FREDRIX
Attorney/Actor
Chairman, 42nd AD Central Committee – 2005 to present
West Los Angeles/San Fernando Valley Precinct Chair – McCain Campaign 2008
Member, Precinct Committee, Republican Party of Los Angeles County
Paul has worked on every political campaign in Los Angeles County, and prior to that in Ohio.
He was the Registration Chair for the 12 Northeastern Counties of Ohio for the Republican Party prior to moving to California

NATE G. KRAUT
Attorney
Nate G. Kraut has been an elected member of the County Central Committee for the 42nd Assembly District since January 2007, serving as its Treasurer since January 2009.
Vice Chair of Los Angeles Lawyers for McCain – 2008.
Long standing member of the San Fernando Valley chapter of the California Republican League, serving on its Board of Directors since 1994.

Nate has been an attorney since 1983.  Nate served as a Senior Judicial Attorney for the California Court of Appeal from 1983 through 1995, after which he opened his own law office, practicing exclusively in the area of civil appeals and writs.  He is certified as an Appellate Specialist by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization.

From 2004 through 2009, Nate served as a member of the Alumni Board of Governors for the University of California’s Hastings College of the Law.  In addition to his private practice, Nate has donated his time serving as a Settlement Conference Officer for the California Court of Appeal and a Judge Pro Tem for the Los Angeles Superior Court.  Through the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Appellate Courts Committee (of which Nate has been a member since 1988), he is part of a group of attorneys who handle appeals for free for indigent individuals.

MAGGIE SOLEIMANI
(New to County political activity)
Attorney
Candidate for Mayor of Beverly Hills

SCOTT SNAPP
Entertainer
Secretary, 42nd Assembly District Central Committee
Member, Executive Committee, Republican Party of Los Angeles County

ASHLEY NICOLE INGRAM
Political Consultant
Current Positions:
Outreach Coordinator – Steve Cooley for Attorney General 2010 Campaign
28th Congressional District Ex-Officio Member of the Executive Committee

Of the Republican Party of Los Angeles County and the California Republican Party.

Executive Director – Young Republican Federation of California
Youth Committee Chair – Republican Party of Los Angeles County
Youth Committee Chair – San Fernando Valley Republican Club
V.P. Precinct/Campaign Operations – Encino Oaks Republican Women Federated
Prior Positions:
Field Representative – Rudy Giuliani Campaign – 2007-2008
Deputy Campaign Manager – Tony Strickland for CA Senate 2008 campaign.
Executive Director – Republican Party of Los Angeles County – 2009

These are the people who Rick Williams calls the “old guard” who are responsible for what is wrong with the Republican Party of Los Angeles County. The Take Back Los Angeles County slate has the goal of defeating Democrats and taking back Los Angeles County for the Republican Party.

 People don’t have resumes like that by sitting on their hands. Everyone on this slate has paid his dues through hard work in the Republican Party.

 I, for one, am very proud to be associated with these fine conservatives who are, every day, devoting their time to support the Republican Party and its message of freedom. Why don’t you ask the members of the “Freedom Slate” what their contribution has been to the Republican Party over the past five years?

 I am not interested in giving Robert Vaughn and his cohorts (including his attorney) another way to attempt to get control of the county party since they can’t get it by legitimate election. Robert Vaughn and his group are not recognized by the California Republican Party as having any legitimacy.

 Do you really want to work to support people who are costing the Republican Party of Los Angeles County tens of thousands of dollars that should properly be going to support Republican candidates in this critical year? Do you really want to support a “Ron Paul-libertarian” takeover of the county party? Do you really want to support homophobic, intolerant candidates? Do you really want to support a slate of people who have had no political experience, with the exception of Hernandez? Do you really want to support people who are just interested in gaining power, and not in working for Republican causes? Do you really want to contribute money that may well be used against the Republican Party of Los Angeles County?

 I urge you to reconsider your support of the so-called “Freedom Slate.” I hope you will support the “Take Back Los Angeles County” Slate, consisting of dedicated Republicans who have devoted themselves to the task of taking back Los Angeles County from Democrats.

An Important Day For California

An Important Day For California

News Release from the Republican Party of Los Angeles County:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Los Angeles County Defeats Propositions 1A-1E
and Elects Tina Park, Carmen Trutanich

Strong Message Sent to State Government

Los Angeles, CA – May 20, 2009 – Los Angeles County sent a clear message to state legislators in yesterday’s election. Strongly rejecting a contrived budget remedy that did little to curtail runaway spending and sought to further burden Californians with an additional $16 Billion in taxes in Propositions 1A-1E.

Voters soundly rejected the legislation, saying enough is enough, go back to the drawing board, and implement real fiscal strategies for a better future, not gimmicks that do not address the systemic problems that plague us year after year. Chair of the Republican Party of Los Angeles County, Jane Barnett said; “Today we relish a small victory for all taxpayers of the State of California. Now our legislature must exercise the same restraints they ask of you, me and our families.” Chair Barnett said, “We cannot spend money we don’t have.” A good lesson for all forms of Government.

In other races, Carmen “Nuch” Trutanich won his race for City Attorney of Los Angeles defeating a Villaraigosa-endorsed Democrat, Jack Weiss.

In addition, Tina Park handily won her race defeating Democrat-incumbent Angela Reddock for the Community College Board of Trustees, Seat #2.

Jane Barnett says; “We expect that Tina will be vigilant, assuring that recent Prop J bond monies are not wasted like previous taxpayer dollars spent by the Community College Board. ”

 

 
Press Contact:
Ashley Ingram
Executive Director
(818)277-1563
ashleyingram@lagop.org

A New Executive Board at RPLAC

A New Executive Board at RPLAC

The following is important information that relates to the Republican Party of Los Angeles County.

New Executive Board

I am taking this opportunity to inform all Republicans in Los Angeles County about the results of the election for officers of the Republican Party of Los Angeles County for 2009-2010 that took place last Saturday.

The County Central Committee elected the following new officers to serve for the next two years:

EXECUTIVE BOARD:

Chairman: Glen Forsch
First Vice-Chairman: Lydia Gutierrez
Second Vice-Chairman: Robert W, Vaughn
Treasurer: Gary Aminoff
Secretary: Roger Eshelman
Asst. Treasurer: Gwen Patrick
Asst. Secretary: Connie Ruffley

Your new slate of officers are organizing and preparing to move forward in the new year with a program designed to grow the Republican Party in Los Angeles County and to win elections.

The Party Needs You

As you know, the Republican Party, nationally, as well as locally, is at a low point, both in registration and in popularity. It is up to us to generate a new way of being for the Republican Party of Los Angeles County that will inspire those who left the Party, and those who have not been in the Party to want to be part of a Party whose core beliefs are protecting individual liberty, limited government, lower taxes, promoting personal freedom and responsibility and a strong national defense. We believe those are also the principles that most Americans feel are important in their lives.

The Executive Board is going to need your help and support. Finances are going to be an issue. Most of the larger donors who contributed to RPLAC, including the Lincoln Clubs of Los Angeles County, did so because Doug and Linda Boyd had established relationships with those contributors. The new board is going to have to reestablish those relationships and demonstrate its credibility to justify donors having faith that our plan will succeed.

We Need to Unify

I also feel it is important to add the following. There were several people who supported the retention of Linda Boyd as Chairman, and her slate, and were very disappointed that she withdrew from the election. Some of those have indicated they do not want to participate in RPLAC activities going forward because they didn’t approve of the attempt to replace Linda as Chairman.

To those who fall into that category, and to others who have been reluctant to participate, for any reason, you should be clear on something very important. The success of the Republican Party of Los Angeles County is more important, to us, to the State of California and to the country than any individual. We need to recognize that we are at a crucial crossroad in the history of America. The question that will be resolved in the next two years is, “Will the Republican Party of Ronald Reagan be a force to be reckoned with in 2010, or will it forever be relegated to a minority status in this country?”

If you make the choice to not participate in creating a successful county party because your feelings were hurt, or because you were offended when your person did not get elected, you are placing your personal feelings ahead of the success of conservative values in America.

For me, I choose to do whatever it takes to make RPLAC a success, for the sake of the Republican Party. I hope you will, as well.

We, the Republicans of Los Angeles County, all of us – social conservatives, defense conservatives, fiscal conservatives, Log Cabin members, RLC members, CRA members, Republican Congress members, Women Federated members, disgruntled Boyd supporters, Ron Paul supporters, Mike Huckabee supporters – everyone who believes in the core principles of the Republican Party needs to come together to create a successful, vibrant, resurgent party in Los Angeles County. We have much more in common than we have differences, and only by working together to support RPLAC can we succeed.

Al Han

I want to make a comment about my friend, Al Han, who I think is getting a bum rap. Al Han is unfairly being blamed by some for organizing a coup to take over the Party, or various riffs on that theme. That did not happen. I can tell you that Al Han was approached a couple of days before the RPLAC organizational meeting and asked if he would act as temporary chairman during the election proceedings. Those who asked him felt that the proceedings would have more of an appearance of fairness if Al presided since State Sen. Bob Huff is thought of as a personal friend of Linda Boyd.

Al agreed that he would take that on. An election was held between Al Han and Bob Huff for temporary chairman and Al Han won. All Al did was preside at the meeting. He was not running for any County Party office, he didn’t organize anything, he had nothing to do with the election other than to preside at the meeting. He does not deserve some of the criticism he is getting.

Your Support

We need your support. The County Party is quickly running short of funds. If you are interested in supporting the Party with a contribution of $10, $25, $50, $100, $1,000 or $10,000, you can do so by going to our donation page and making your contribution online. Or, you can send a check made payable to RPLAC, c/o Gary Aminoff, Treasurer, 1800 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1420, Los Angeles, CA 90067.

Closing

Lastly, I want to express my gratitude to Linda Boyd for all the effort she has put into running the County Party during the past six years. I know that she made many sacrifices, including being away from her young children, to serve the Republican Party of Los Angeles County. Her dedication to the cause was sincere and tireless.

Chairman Glen Forsch and the entire Executive Board look forward to working with you in the coming days and months to create a new, exciting Republican Party of Los Angeles County.

Sincerely,

Gary Aminoff
Treasurer, Member Executive Board
Republican Party of Los Angeles County

Republican Party of Los Angeles County elects 2007-2008 Officers

Republican Party of Los Angeles County elects 2007-2008 Officers

The Republican Party of Los Angeles County held its re-organization meeting a few days ago and re-elected Linda Boyd as Chairman for the next two years. Elected, along with Linda Boyd were First VP Walt Allen, Second VP Al Han, Secretary Sylvia Southerland, Assistant Secretary Ron Esquivel, Treasurer Gary Aminoff and Assistant Treasurer Armineh Chelebian. The Board represents members from all areas of the diverse geographic areas of Los Angeles County and has members from the Latino, Asian, Jewish, African-American and Armenian communities.

Despite the fact that Republicans currently represent only 27% of the voters in Los Angeles County, RPLAC is determined to increase that percentage over the next couple of years.

The achievements of the LA County Republican Party over the past year have been:

* Met and exceeded all the vote goals set by the California Republican Party and Governor’s Schwarzenegger’s campaign. At their request, we funneled all of our volunteers into their ten large VOIP centers (phone banks/headquarters) and those centers met all expectations in number of volunteers and precincts covered. RPLAC loaned our talented Executive Director Francisco Martinez to the CRP’s Victory ’06 GOTV effort, where he was responsible for overseeing all operations in Los Angeles County.

* More than doubled RPLAC’s fundraising over the last gubernatorial election year four years ago.

* Continued to grow and develop our outside professional direct mail and telemarketing efforts, and look forward to an even better year in 2007.

* Raised almost $100,000 at our annual fundraiser featuring the “Incredible Hulk” Lou Ferrigno, former “Dallas” star Morgan Brittany and then-newly elected Assembly Republican Leader George Plescia.

* Joined the Lincoln Clubs in hosting a very successful fundraising dinner in September featuring Governor Schwarzenegger and former Governor George Deukmejian. Los Angeles and Orange Counties were the only ones granted a fundraising appearance by the Governor and we are very appreciative.

* RPLAC sponsored four training sessions for candidates and Party leaders in 2006.

* RPLAC hosted Election Night Victory parties for the June and November elections, attracting hundreds of grassroots Republican volunteers.

We wish the Republican Party of Los Angeles County much continued success in achieving its goals for the next two years.