Joe Gale for Montgomery County Commissioner - Committeeperson Email 11/1/15
Re: The Truth about MCRC’s 2015 General Election Official Republican Ballot
Dear Fellow Committeeperson,
By now, you likely received in the mail the Montgomery County Republican Committee’s Official Republican Ballot.[i] You may have noticed that it does not say to vote straight republican and omits: “County Commissioner Joseph Gale D-19.”
On September 24th, I sent a letter to MCRC’s Chairman Mike Vereb and included Vice Chairwoman Maureen Coggins, Treasurer Robert Griffith, Solicitor Tom Ellis, and Executive Director Josh Arnold making it clear that I expected to be included on any materials issued by MCRC.[ii]
In the letter, I noted that MCRC Bylaws require that the committee: “Promote and support the election of all Republican candidates…in General Elections;”Article II, Section (g)[iii]
In a meeting with Republican candidates and area leaders on September 30th at MCRC Headquarters, my campaign chairman, Sean Gale, raised the issue of my campaign supporters and potential donors being contacted by Vereb with instructions not to support my candidacy. Upon questioning, Chairman Vereb, admitted to contacting supporters and noted that he and PA Speaker of the House John Turzai had a conference call with Pat O’Connor – who was currently serving on the host committee of one of my fundraisers.[iv] As a result of the call, O’Connor was the only host who did not attend the event or contribute to my campaign. However, O’Connor’s firm, Cozen O’Connor subsequently donated $2,000 to Tolbert for County Commissioner.[v]
To subsidize the Green Ballots, Vereb demanded that all the Row Office and Judicial candidates give money from their individual campaign accounts. Since I was the only candidate who had supporters and potential donors contacted by Vereb, I refused to pay the $7,500.
Thus raising the question: Why is MCRC effectively shaking down Republican Candidates when, Vereb’s handpicked County Commissioner Candidate received $30,000 from the State Republican Party?[vi] This money should have been dispersed to benefit all Republican candidates, statewide to municipal, who were elected in the Republican primary and are required a spot on the green ballot per the bylaws. Nowhere in the bylaws does it mention or even suggest that candidates must pay their way to appear on the sample ballot.In truth, the party is waging a bullet vote campaign against my candidacy as punishment for running without their endorsement and winning. This act of reprisal is an insult to the Republican voters who chose me as their Nominee for Commissioner; the same voters MCRC is supposed to represent. Joining MCRC’s sour grapes Bullet Vote campaign, is Scott Zelov- a 2015 County Commissioner candidate who was endorsed but defeated in May’s primary. On October 25, Zelov issued an endorsement that attacks me and recommends “voting only for Steve Tolbert for County Commissioner.”[vii]
This explains why Vereb[viii], MCRC, and the State GOP are not attacking the Democrat County Commissioner candidates but instead, attempting to sabotage a fellow Republican.