A Republican leadership election in Warren County, Virginia, has been overturned following allegations of voting irregularities and membership procedure violations at a February meeting.
What Happened
The Warren County Republican Committee held a mass meeting on February 12 to elect new leadership and reset its membership rolls. The gathering drew more than 400 attendees, a record turnout for the committee. The election results are now at the center of an appeal challenging their validity.
Scott Lloyd, a former Trump administration official, filed the appeal after losing the chairman race to David Silek, a local attorney. His appeal materials included affidavits from attendees who described irregularities at the meeting, which was held at the Front Royal Volunteer Fire Department.
According to the appeal documents, some individuals said they received ballots even though they were not registered committee members. Others said they were denied entry and prevented from voting. The meeting also led to a sharp reduction in membership, from 251 members to 102.
Additional concerns include a lack of notice about voting cutoff times and questions about how membership applications were processed. George Cline, husband of Sheriff Crystal Cline, acknowledged in a Facebook comment that he turned away at least nine people from the meeting.
The Reaction
An appeal hearing before the Sixth District Republican Committee was held Tuesday night in Fisherville, with about two dozen members in attendance. If Silek files a counter-appeal within 30 days, the dispute will be reviewed by a special committee made up of five members of the Republican Party of Virginia.
What This Means
According to party procedures, the review committee will include two members selected by Lloyd, two selected by Silek, and one member chosen jointly by both men. None of the committee members may come from the Sixth District, a requirement intended to keep the review independent of the local dispute.
