The Lycoming County Republican Committee chair says a lot of “sudden interest” is being seen in people running for office, stating that can be a good thing for the GOP while acknowledging he suspected a power play is in motion for control of the committee and its direction.

Donald C. Peters, committee chair, said that in this current election cycle there are “more than 50 Republicans that have never served on the county GOP committee, and who have gotten their names on the ballots for the May 19 primary election.”

“There are 80 precincts,” he said. “We have a lot of people running for precinct positions,” he said, adding that additional members can be a good thing for the party, but he added the sudden surge of candidates appeared to him to be an “orchestrated effort by one or more persons who wanted more influence on the committee.”

Asked more about that, to the chairman, who is now in his second two-year term, whoever is running for the committee or seeking to hold committee leadership positions needs to have “fairly conservative values that are reflective of those of the majority of GOP voters in Lycoming County and across the nation.”

These values include such things as less government and taxes, preserving traditional marriage and life, and “standing against liberal indoctrination in our public schools,” he said as three examples he was asked to provide.

Peters explained how the committee leadership team will be chosen. He said a vote will be taken in a private upcoming meeting where “slates” of individuals seeking the office of committee chair, vice chair, secretary, treasurer and assistant secretary will be voted upon to select the next committee leadership team.

Possible power play in motion

Peters acknowledged an effort he said he described to committee members as a “likely takeover” was being promoted by some Republicans.

He would not name the Republican colleagues, but said “the faction is likely motivated by their disagreement with many of the committee’s current conservative core values.”

Peters’ assessment was that an “elected official was, therefore, trying to pack the committee” with people, known personally to that official, who would likely be more supportive of that person and his ideas.

Peters acknowledged that he and many members of the committee do not agree with that elected official’s position on Pennsylvania’s legal definition of marriage.

He said what occurred at a recent committee meeting was a vote which passed with over a two-thirds majority to amend the bylaws to define the term “good standing,” which was already required by Lycoming County Republic Committee bylaws but never defined.

He said he believes it is fairly obvious the committee members should attend regular meetings and be engaged in the party, which are the only aspects the revised bylaw of that article included.

While discussion at the meeting indicated amendment of the bylaws would make current members who had not regularly attended meetings ineligible to hold officer positions in the upcoming election, Peters said after many discussions in and out of that meeting, including with the state GOP attorney — who reviewed the proposed amendment over a month ago and gave it his approval — the committee has agreed to permit all current members to seek officers positions in this upcoming election.

An elected official offer a perspective

State Rep. Jamie Flick, R-South Williamsport, who represents the 83rd District of Lycoming County and Gregg and White Deer townships in Union County, said that Peters sent out an email to all current members that this was an “attempted takeover,” and to prevent that from happening, he met with the bylaws subcommittee and the committee added state Rep. Joe Hamm, R-Hepburn Township, to that committee.

“The subcommittee then proceeded to add amendments to the bylaws which were retroactive,” Flick said. These amendments are “illegal, unethical and deceptive, which “I spoke to the committee at length about,” he said.

The proposed change to the bylaws was done to keep the current slate of officers in power, according to Flick’s assessment.

The current committee proceeded to vote in favor of the new retroactive bylaws by a two-thirds vote, he said.

Flick said he then wrote to the Pennsylvania GOP chairman Senator Greg Rothman, who then advised Peters that the state would not approve the bylaws to be retroactive.

Peters responded to the representative’s viewpoints on this matter. He said those that prevent current members “not in good standing” from holding office under a new bylaw as being “illegal,” are simply “gas lighting their audience for added effect.”

The committee, and how it governs itself, are private matters, according to Peters.

Recent court decisions have said the courts have no jurisdiction over county committees, he noted.

“My advice to those making such claims – produce the state law allegedly violated – Title, Section and subsection, that makes it ‘illegal,’ then we can talk.”