The hearing was the latest in a series of hearings conducted by the RPT Officials Committee to address a Rule 8k “misbehavior in office” complaint filed by a majority of the precinct chairs in Montgomery County against Wilkerson.
While the complaint documents numerous illegal acts and rule violations by Wilkerson, most issues in the complaint stem from the fact that Wilkerson has refused to comply with the party’s bylaws that were adopted by majority vote at their organizational meeting on June 26th. Wilkerson opposes the new bylaws because they take away the near-dictatorial power he has had as chairman for 54 years and require him to share authority with the precinct chairs and a steering committee.
Wilkerson then issued an opinion that the bylaws are invalid, and has ignored them ever since. After failed attempts by precinct chairs to meet with him to seek a resolution to the dispute, and months of lawless behavior, the chairs filed the 8k complaint.
The State Republican Executive Committee then weighed in and voted unanimously (64-0) that the process in which the bylaws were adopted was valid. A hearing was held on September 22, where the Officials Committee gave Wilkerson five days to decide whether or not he would comply with the ruling of the state party and abide by the bylaws.
After five days, another hearing was convened. After trying for more than an hour to get Wilkerson to comply with the rules, but to no avail, the Officials Committee adjourned the public hearing and went into a lengthy executive session.
Although the RPT has not yet announced what they will do about Wilkerson’s violation of the rules, it is clear that Wilkerson has now significantly escalated the gravity of his offense by deciding that RPT Rules, and therefore state law, do not apply to him.
