In a memo to the party’s executive director obtained by POLITICO, general counsel Jason Gonzalez said the RPOF’s loyalty oath would require members of state and county GOP committees to withdraw their support for a candidate who split from the party.
“At the heart of the Party Loyalty Oath is the requirement that members of the Republican Party of Florida’s Executive Committees – from precinct committeemen and committeewomen in each county all the way up to the national committeeman and committeewoman – cannot provide their active, public, or financial support to any candidate other than ‘the Republican candidate’ in a general election,” Gonzalez wrote.
He concluded: “Any member who fails to formally revoke his or her public support and request the return of any contributions made to a candidate running against the candidate of the Republican Party would be in violation of the RPOF Rules and would be subject to removal from party office and membership on Republican executive committees.”
Here is a partial list of who I think will be directly impacted by the RPOF’s effort to enforce its Loyalty Oath if Charlie Crist does, in fact, decide to run as an Independent. These are all publicly committed supporters of Charlie Crist’s campaign who, as elected officials or RPOF state committee members or county executive committee members, have signed the Loyalty Oath (any additions or deletions, e-mail me at [email protected]):
Paul Bedinghaus – Member of the Pinellas County Republican Executive Committee
Jerry Braley – State Committeeman for Orange County
Senator Lee Constantine
John Falconetti – Member of the Duval County Republican Executive Committee
Senator Mike Fasano
Senator Rudy Garcia
Scott Glover – Member of the Republican Party of Florida State Executive Committee
Lonnie Hawkins – Member of the Santa Rosa Republican Executive Committee
Beth Kigel – Member of the Republican Party of Florida Executive Board
Representative Jimmy Patronis
Senator Durrell Peaden
Ed Pozzouli – Member of the Broward County Republican Executive Committee
Becky Reichenberg – State Committeewoman for St. Johns County
Eric Robinson – Member of the Sarasota County Republican Executive Committee
Paul Senft – National Committeeman for the Republican Party of Florida
Jim Stelling – Member of the Seminole County Republican Executive Committee
Gina Stuart – State Committeewoman for Jackson County
Greg Truax – Member of the Republican Party of Florida State Executive Committee,
Representative Juan Zapata
