MCRC Chairman Tyler Bowyer Barbara A.J. LaFaro
Graham pulls
a dirty trick on PC office in Tempe stops payment on rent check. My take is
AZGOP has marching orders to shove Bush down our throats and will play any
dirty trick in the book to see Bush is the AZ Guy for 2016. Boycotting a
Republican Presidential candidate told the story, the grand ole party doesn't
want a candidate that makes them look incompetent on illegal immigration or
point out the Republican inept congress. Trump does not follow their talking points, doesn't
need their money is his own brand and doesn't need RNC.
Arizona Republican Party Chairman Robert Graham has stopped payment on the rental check for the
Republicans of Maricopa County office that opened July 13 in Tempe.
MCRC Chairman Tyler Bowyer confirms
reports that the MCRC received notification of the ‘stop payment’ from the bank
last week. AZGOP never notified Bowyer, nor the MCRC Treasurer of the ‘stop
payment.’ MCRC Treasurer David Ludwig messaged the AZGOP upon
receiving notification from the bank, however, the AZGOP has not responded.
“We are still in shock that Robert (Graham) would commit to
funding the office through 2016 and suddenly pull the funding,” said Bowyer.
When Briefs contacted Graham Monday
afternoon (July 20), regarding reports of the ‘stopped payment’, Graham
responded, “It appears that Maricopa County is doing well. I thought it
was appropriate and wise to hold back funds and allocate the resources based on
need. With 14 other counties we have some large battles potentially in CD
1 and CD 2 not to mention our goal to bring the state house and senate to a
greater majority. We are working to help all the counties in the state
with the Redroots program. It has been my pleasure to help Maricopa get
off the ground and into an office and look forward to working with them on
Redroots.”
Graham denies reports circulating among GOP leaders that
the AZGOP is punishing Bowyer and the MCRC for hosting the Presidential
Candidate Donald Trump event a week ago that drew thousands of Republicans in
attendance.
Graham also denied reports that the AZGOP is short on
funds.
Graham
said, “Tyler has not publicly thanked the AZ GOP or its donors for paying the
rent.” However, long time party members, who were around several
decades ago whenJack London gave the current AZGOP headquarters to
the Republican Party, recall that the Maricopa County Republican Party
Committee was to have access to quarters within that facility.
“Since
the AZGOP removed the MCGOP out a number of years ago out of the 24th street
shared space, it has been up to the AZGOP to compensate for that. Robert seemed
to agree, but the sudden move is very strange and unexpected on our end. We
have made a serious effort to adopt a teamwork philosophy and this is very
disappointing to see. We will continue to work hard on behalf of Precinct
Committeemen and find resources to fund the Tempe office,” Bowyer said this
evening.
Monday evening Briefs sent these
additional questions to Graham:
1. Why did you issue the Tempe rental check and then stop
payment on it? Did you notify the county you were stopping payment? If
so, when? And to whom?
2. Why would the county proceed with the ribbon cutting on the
new facility last week if they knew AZGOP wasn’t going to pay the rent?
3. Did you also stop payment on the county office in Sun
City?
4. How many county offices (throughout the state) is the AZGOP
paying the rent on? Have they also been cut off?
5. Were you directed to stop that Tempe facility check because
Maricopa County hosted Trump? trump-shunned-arizona-gop-establishment-phoenix-visit
6. Why didn’t the AZGOP host Trump?
7. Will the AZGOP be hosting any of the Republican
presidential candidates when/if they come to AZ?
8. Or is this something the county needs to be prepared to
handle in the future?
Graham responded that he was on his way back East for a
series of meeting and didn’t have time to answer the questions.
