The ongoing legal saga regarding California Young Republicans has taken a significant legal turn. YR dissidents led by Andy Stanley and affiliated with Congressman Kevin McCarthy, lost in court yesterday. Jenniffer Rodriguez was elected President and Rohit Joy was elected as Secretary of the California Young Republicans at the February, 2010 California Young Republican Convention. Mr. Stanley’s group did not accept this result and appealed it first to the parent organization, the Young Republicans National Federation (YRNF). The YRNF rejected their election challenge. The dissidents then filed a second challenge, this time before the California Republican Party volunteer organization’s committee. The dissidents lost this hearing as well. The YR dissidents filed an arbitration action against Rodriguez and Joy, burdening both of them with potentially ruinous legal fees and arbitration costs.
The arbitration was scheduled to commence on Monday, October 18, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. The arbitrator already indicated that he was going to require the losing party to pay the arbitrator’s fees, which added up to over $40,000.00. At this point, Joy and Rodriguez were unrepresented. Two weeks ago, former California Republican Party Chairman Michael Schroeder agreed to handle their case pro bono. He filed a motion before the arbitrator eight days ago contending that the arbitrator had no jurisdiction to hear this matter because it was already before the California Republican Party and because these two individuals never agreed to have an arbitration brought against themselves personally. The arbitrator rejected this motion claiming that it had been filed four months too late.
Schroeder appeared yesterday in Los Angeles Superior Court at 8:30 a.m. requesting a restraining order, restraining the arbitrator from going further with the arbitration. A judge agreed and granted an order prohibiting the arbitration from going forward until further order of the Court.
October 19th, 2010 at 12:00 am
The situation helps illustrate how important it was for the California Republican Party to do the right thing last Summer, to help facilitate the merger of the two Young Republican organizations in California. Hopefully, the Party will have another opportunity to do the right thing.
October 19th, 2010 at 12:00 am
They are not a dissident group. Jennifer did not follow the state YR constitution, nor did she hold a convention in the proper allotted time, nor held the proper amount of meetings during her term. By not doing so, she showed her inability to lead the state club. Andy was a state officer at the time and with the support of the board and several clubs across the state, held a convention and was elected chair. Fresno County YRs support Andy and only recognizes his state board.
If you can’t follow the rules set forth by the constitution, you might as well be a Democrat!
October 19th, 2010 at 12:00 am
The Young Republican National Federation recognizes Jenniffer as Chairman. The California Republican Party also recognizes Jenniffer as Chairman. Rather than go through the dispute resolution processes both organizations offer, Andy Stanley has chosen to file an arbitration action in violation of both the YRNF and the CRP Bylaws.
Geof: Before you start accusing us of not following the constitution, you might check and make sure that your own people are.
October 19th, 2010 at 12:00 am
They ARE a small dissident group uncommitted to the principles of the Party or our electoral success. The State Party found them a dissident group and told them to stand down. The National YRs found them a dissident group and told them to stand down. They ignored the bylaws and Party demands and attempted to disrupt grassroots activism by forcing an improper arbitration two weeks before an election.
Will Stanley listen to a judge, will he get to work trying to elect Republicans or will he continue to live in his fantasy world where he is a chair declared by a handful and recognized by none.
Jenniffer is the properly elected chair, supported by almost every activist YR and recognized by CRP and YRNF. Its time to stop whining and start working.
Adam Abrahms
CYR, National Committeeman
(AS RECOGNIZED BY CRP AND YRNF)
October 19th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Geof, so are you insinuating that the YRNF and the CRP are not following their own bylaws? Jenniffer WAS legally elected, CYR had a wonderful convention this year where she was legally elected, and this ruling is more proof that Jenniffer was and still is the only recognized chair of the organization.
Fresno and Kern County.. Two peas in a pod.
Ashley Ingram
Los Angeles County Chair, CYR
October 19th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Glad to hear this went well.
The Republican Party of L.A. County is all too familiar with the consequences of having a rogue group of sore losers hiding out there sniping at you while you try to work and perform the business of the party. After everything we constantly hear about “unity”, hopefully now people will get it, they will support the merger, and the pirate YRs that serve the Bakersfield mafia will back off.
My hat’s off to Jenniffer and Rohit and the entire CYR organization for standing unflinching and unmoved during this ordeal. Their YRFC brethren are proud to stand with them.
Alex Burrola
Vice Chairman, Los Angeles County Young Republicans (CYR)
October 20th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Even the simplest review of CYR bylaws reveals that Annual conventions are to be held in the Jan-Mar quarter as Jennifer did, not the Oct-Dec quarter as Andy tried. 10 Abernathy employees/McCarthyites in the back of an IHOP in F-no before Christmas does not a legal CYR convention make, Geof. Are the entirety of the CRP delegation, as well as YR’s from coast to coast supposed to believe that in one of the largest states in the union, every single young republican board member is employed (directly or otherwise) by one congressman and one old consultant? That out of the young republicans in every other county in the state, working for every other legislator (or working in the private sector, perish the thought) that not ONE of them has a leadership position in YR? Of the hundreds and hundreds of YR members from Shasta to Imperial; the CRP, the YRNF, an Arbitrator, a Judge, and everyone reading this is supposed to believe that the entire YR board was legitimately elected solely from Bakersfield and Fresno from McCarthy/Abernathy’s staff? Really? The endorsment laundering is over. The intimidation, the firings, the bribery is done with.
The future of YR in California will be determined by its growing membership across the state, not by the grumpy old man show. This isn’t about moderate or conservative, about bruised egos of the aged, or any particular candidate. This is about young conservatives choosing candidates that reflect their conservative beliefs and values in their county, even if those don’t agree with the beliefs of Kevin McCarthy or Mark Abernathy. Join us, follow us, or get out of the way, YR’s are coming through.
Justin Smith
CRP Delegate
RPLAC Exec Cmte/Youth Chair
AND- YR board rep for LA (surprise, its not 10 people swilling bourbon in a 54th story board room downtown, real YR in LA lets their members’ shoeleather do the talking! Sorry Kev :)
The opinions expressed here are my own and in no way imply the endorsement of CYR, YRFC, YRNF, CRP, RPLAC, or the Deparments of State or Defense, respectively.
October 20th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Same crap. New faces. Except those from Kern… they stay the same.