Trumbull GOP leaderless after ouster of chairman

Staff report

HOWLAND

The Trumbull County Republic Party is without a chairman or treasurer after removing Chairman Randy Law and Treasurer Debra Roth Tuesday night.

Their removal, both by unanimous 49-0 votes, came at a special meeting in Howland Community Church.

Kevin Wyndham, a member of the GOP central committee, said there currently is no chairman or treasurer for the party because the bylaws call for the first vice chairman to call a meeting to fill the chairman vacancy within 20 days. The bylaws call for the executive committee to call a meeting within 30 days to fill the treasurer’s position. They do not call for anyone to serve as interim chairman.

Wyndham said he did not know of any meeting dates having been set.

Deposed chairman Law said Tuesday’s meeting was illegal. When he learned of the meeting, he sent notices to all the 120 to 125 Trumbull GOP precinct committee members over the weekend, canceling the meeting, he said.

But Wyndham said Law did not have the authority to cancel the meeting.

Law said he has notified the county elections committee and the U.S. Postal Service to determine if the notifications, which he called fraudulent, constitute mail fraud.

“This is all personal,” he said.

It is a story of two sets of bylaws.

Wyndham said the central committee conducted a meeting June 27, 2016, and Law called a different meeting – which Wyndham called a “rump” meeting – at the same time, at which different bylaws gave Law power in the party for as long as he wished were approved.

“We called a meeting to rebuke Law’s bylaws. By the standing, existing bylaws, Law cannot do what he is doing,” Wyndham said.

Tuesday’s central committee met with a quorum in a proper meeting.

“I’m more concerned about the truth. There was nothing illegal about our meetings. Voting unanimously is sending a message to Randy Law that we aren’t following his lead anymore. Whether he wants to accept it or not, we’re moving on as the Trumbull County GOP,” Wyndham said.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the central committee voted unanimously to reappoint Kathi Creed to the Trumbull Board of Elections, subject to approval by Ohio Secretary of State John Husted.