Denial: A river in Egypt AND the prevailing state of mind on Hillsborough St.
NCGOP bigwigs in Raleigh had a conference call with regional GOP leaders from throughout the state. Guess what the prevailing topic of conversation was?
We heard from a number of participants who described Raleigh’s reaction to the Hayes scandal as “pathetic.”
Sources say NCGOP executive director Dallas Woodhouse, NCGOP general counsel (and chairman candidate) John Lewis, and party lawyer Josh Howard led the Raleigh end of the discussion.
Sources tell us that Lewis described Hayes as the victim of “entrapment.” We were also told that Woodhouse described the whole affair as “no big deal”, and added that “it will all blow over by the weekend.”
(Wanna bet, junior?)
Let’s pause right here for a sanity check. North Carolina Republican Party chairman Robin Hayes — the “face” of the NCGOP — is charged with:
- ONE count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud;
- ONE count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds and aiding and abetting;
- and THREE counts of making false statements to federal investigators
Hayes is actually charged with more — and in bigger trouble — than Eric Lindberg. And these people on Hillsborough Street have NO INTENTION of suspending or terminating Hayes from his job with the party, or even limiting his access to party facilities or other resources.
Hasan Harnett was repeatedly locked out of the NCGOP offices and computer systems, and fired from his post as party chairman. And, to my knowledge, he was never indicted by — or even investigated by — federal or state authorities.
RNC committee members Ada Fisher and Mark Brody were participants in the conference call. Both expressed frustration with being left “in the dark” on the Hayes matter. Fisher expressed embarrassment at not being able to answer questions she was getting about the whole matter from folks in DC.
Brody went a lot further — demanding the resignations of Hayes and Dallas Woodhouse. Sources say Woodhouse — in front of everyone on the call — emphatically refused to resign.
Party activist Scott Cumbie encouraged everyone on the call to “rally around” Hayes during his time of trouble. Cumbie was a ringleader in the coup to topple Hayes predecessor Hasan Harnett.
Everyone affiliated with the Hayes team should resign.
Some years ago (about 1995), NCGOP chairman Jim Hastings was indicted in federal court. The matter dealt with personal taxes and was not related to the party or his tenure there. Yet Hastings resigned as chairman, after first taking a leave of absence and turning the reins over to Vice Chairman Jane Rouse. Hastings did not yet have an Executive Director, only a temporary Chief of Staff. At the same meeting where the Central Committee accepted Hastings request for a leave of absence they replaced Hastings’ Chief of Staff by immediately hiring an executive director who was not connected to Hastings.
This situation is much worse for the party that the Hastings problem.
I was stunned that this entire band of idiots did not immediately offer up their resignations after the last election.
They were so incompetent I could not understand why they did not resign the next day.
SO you can imagine how I feel now, when we know they are crooks, on top of inept, and the whole lot of them has not already left the building.
“Cumbie was a ringleader in the coup to topple Hayes predecessor Hasan Harnett”
Understatement of the year there. It is NO surprise that Cumbie “encouraged everyone on the call to ‘rally around’ Hayes during his time of trouble”. What a sycophant.
He wasn’t exactly the Lone Ranger…..the Republicans of Franklin, Nash, Wilson, Harnett, and Johnston counties should be aware that their district chair was right there also speaking for Hayes and full throatedly defending this disgrace.
The pretender to the throne, the district chairman Hayes illegally unilaterally appointed “acting chairman” is making robocalls. He is trying to fill the power vacuum quickly.
With no vice chairman, if anyone should fill in, it should be the most senior officials, the national committeeman or committeewoman.
Anyone else wondering if Nix has any involvement in this mess?
Hayes appoints a NCGOPe crony?
No surprise there.
When will the Executive Committee regain control?
No offense to ExCom members intended.
The plan all along was to destroy the NCGOP because they are Democrats in disguise. So from their perspective it is a victory.