Posted by CNN’s Adam Levy
Washington (CNN) – Ron Paul’s presidential campaign isn’t done fighting for more delegates at the Republican National Convention.
The Texas congressman’s campaign sent a memo to the all RNC members, its counsel’s office and the convention’s credentials committee Friday evening, ahead of its second appeal to strip Louisiana of its delegates to the convention because of rules that it says were violated during the state convention.
The first appeal was rejected by the committee earlier this month.
“There’s no way you can argue with a straight face that rules weren’t changed,” said Charlie Davis, Louisiana chairman of the Ron Paul campaign.
In the days leading up to the Republican Party of Louisiana’s state convention in June, an affidavit and supplemental rules were distributed to participants. The affidavit required the signature of delegates selected to go to the national convention to vote for the candidate they were bound to by the State Central Committee.
Paul’s supporters refused to sign the affidavit because it gave the power to the central committee to strip delegates of their vote.
Instead, they had their own vote at the state convention in protest of the party’s rules.
“The affidavit and supplemental rules systemically changed the way that Louisiana elected National Delegates,” Davis wrote in the memo. “Both documents are clear violations of the national requirement that all rules must have been submitted to the RNC last October 1.”
Jason Doré, executive director of the state party, said the campaign was aware the affidavit and rules were coming and that draft versions were sent in the days leading up to the state convention.
“We had received letters from (the Mitt) Romney and (Rick) Santorum campaigns stating who they wanted their delegates to be,” Doré said. “We worked very long to make sure that we had an affidavit that was similar to other state parties’ that was enforceable that prevented delegate stealing.”
Davis said they were only sent out in the two days leading up to the convention.
The Paul campaign is requesting contestants and respondents be given time to cross-examine those who filed an affidavit. It is also requesting electronic communication between the RNC and Louisiana Republican Party staffs – which it says coordinated the rules – be turned over to the committee.
The Committee on Contests will make a recommendation to the party based on the hearing, scheduled for Tuesday. The credentials committee will then vote to recommend that the entire convention keep or strip the current delegates.
“I feel strongly that the facts are on our side,” Davis said. “I know the wheels of justice move slowly. I think eventually enough people will investigate what happened and that our delegates will be seated.”
“I think that it’s unfortunate that the state party and a lot of our people, our time has been tied up by this for the past couple of months to the convention instead of working to defeat Barack Obama,” Doré said.
Related articles
- Ron Paul campaign to challenge all Louisiana delegates (jeenyuscorner.com)
- Ron Paul Will Have 500 Delegates at the RNC: 10 Reasons He Should Speak at the GOP Convention (jeenyuscorner.com)
- Ron Paul campaign to challenge all Louisiana delegates (politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com)
- Ron Paul: Is the GOP Trying to Steal His Louisiana Victory? (reason.com)
- GOP establishment continues to fight Ron Paul on the eve of RNC (EndtheLie.com)
