Three Georgia Republican Party (GAGOP) officials confirmed to The Georgia Star News on Monday that rumors of a forthcoming leadership challenge against two of the party’s top officials were unfounded and no leadership challenge was mounted at the Saturday GAGOP State Committee meeting on St. Simons Island.
In an email reviewed by The Star, Cross cited an editorial from the owner of a Georgia radio station, which claimed a scheme to remove both 1st Vice Chairman Brian Pritchard and 2nd Vice Chairman David Cross from their party positions was scheduled to take place at the Saturday meeting.
Cross warned in his email, “Efforts are underway to remove me from my position of 2nd Vice Chairman of the Georgia GOP, and the information is flowing in from multiple sources.” Cross additionally claimed his position “hangs in the balance of what will probably be a small quorum meeting.”
At the meeting, which two sources told The Star had more attendees than seating, the party conducted normal business, uninterrupted, followed by an executive session during which party officials privately discussed the ongoing litigation which is impeding changes to the state party’s corporate filings.
After the executive session, McKoon addressed a series of claims made by Cross in a PowerPoint presentation obtained by The Star.
The section of McKoon’s presentation directed at Cross’ claims began with the rumored leadership challenge, which McKoon wrote is “false.” He wrote that the GAGOP rule “clearly sets forth the process to remove an officer,” and “no such process has been initiated.”
Rule 7.5 of the party’s rules, which was cited by McKoon, explains that party officials “may be removed from office for cause by a vote of a two-thirds of a quorum present at any duly called meeting of the State Committee,” but only after the person being targeted for removal is “given a written notice of said meeting” at least 32 days in advance of the removal proceedings.
Caroline Jeffords, the GAGOP Secretary, confirmed to The Star when reached Monday that Rule 7.5 also requires the party’s Secretary to be informed of attempts to remove party officials and that no such notice was provided.
In his Friday email, Cross also questioned why the party intended to meet at St. Simons Island on Saturday. In his PowerPoint, McKoon explained, “The First Congressional District was selected in keeping with my campaign promise to make our Party a true statewide organization.”
Additionally, Jeffords told The Star the event was timed to coincide with a separate fundraiser headlined by former gubernatorial candidate Kandiss Taylor, which she said likely boosted the party meeting’s overall attendance.
Turning to internal disagreements over the party’s corporate structure, McKoon wrote that he appointed the Corporate Structure Committee to form recommendations to make changes following the resolution of a lawsuit launched by GAGOP Chair John Padgett.
A Fulton County Superior Court Judge ruled in favor of the party last September, evidenced by a copy of the ruling provided to The Star, but Jeffords explained Padgett his since appealed the decision.
An earlier portion of McKoon’s presentation also appeared to address an email sent by Cross on January 5 which claimed Georgia lawmakers, including Republicans, attended meetings with lobbyists ahead of the legislative session. Cross claimed lobbyists “were handing out checks for favorable votes in the coming session.” The email was sent from a Cross for GA email address and identified him as the 2nd Vice Chair of the GAGOP, an election integrity activist and the “owner of U.S. Asset Management.”
In a presentation slide titled, “Things the Georgia Republican Party Does Not Exist to Do,” McKoon wrote that the party does not organize primary opponents for Republicans, “Provide a platform to build personal brands on social media or elsewhere for officers,” “accuse Republicans of committing crimes,” use party resources “to advertise Officer businesses or initiatives outside the GAGOP,” or request money from Republican elected officials using social media.
McKoon added that any other action “that does not advance” the party’s objectives, namely, to “Elect a Republican President while electing as many Republicans down ballot as possible” and to “[s]ee our indicted Presidential Electors cleared of any criminal wrongdoing,” is similarly not within the party’s scope.
Ahead of the rumored leadership challenge, GAGOP Over 80K Chair Salleigh Grubbs told The Star that the rumors regarding the leadership challenge are likely the result of grassroots activists “becoming so disenfranchised with our government [that] they’re willing to believe every little thing that comes up” and expressed sympathy for those swept up with the claims.
The Star sent emails to two addresses advertised by Cross but did not receive a response prior to press time.
– – –
Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Josh McKoon” by Josh McKoon.
