Wow... They Really Do NOT Like Democracy... 'Loyalty Oath' Forbids GOP Support For Crist

The Republican Party of Florida requires members of all political party committees organized under the RPOF to abide by a Party Loyalty Oath.
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Any member who fails to formally revoke his or her public support and request the return of any contributions made to a candidate running against the candidate of the Republican Party would be in violation of the RPOF Rules and would be subject to removal from party office and membership on Republican executive committees.

MEMORANDUM TO: Ronnie Whitaker Executive Director, Republican Party of Florida FROM: Jason Gonzalez General Counsel, Republican Party of Florida DATE: April 19, 2010

RE: Party Loyalty Oath - Candidates Running with No Party Affiliation

At your request, I have prepared the following memorandum involving the interpretation of Republican Party of Florida Rule 9 (Party Loyalty Oath). You specifically asked me to determine whether the Party Loyalty Oath would allow state and county executive committee members to support a registered Republican running with no party affiliation in a general election over the candidate nominated in the Republican primary election. As described below, my conclusion is that the Party Loyalty Oath forbids Republican Executive Committee members from supporting any candidate other than the candidate nominated by the voters of the Republican Party through its primary election.

The Republican Party of Florida requires members of all political party committees organized under the RPOF to abide by a Party Loyalty Oath. The loyalty oath is contained in Rule 9 of the RPOF Rules of Procedure. The Rule provides, in relevant part, that Members of all political party committees, and the National Committeeman and Committeewoman, shall before taking office, establish by written oath or affirmation that during their term of office they will not actively, publicly, or financially support the election of any candidate other than the Republican candidate in a partisan unitary, general or special election, or a Registered Republican in non-partisan elections, other than Judicial races governed under Florida Statute 105, if there is a registered Republican running for the same office, unless the county executive committee has taken an affirmative vote to endorse one Republican over another per Rule 8(B). The written oath or affirmation will also state that they will not engage in activities or conduct deemed by the Grievance Committee and affirmed by the RPOF Chairman as likely to injure the name of the Republican Party or interfere with the activities of the Republican Party.

At the heart of the Party Loyalty Oath is the requirement that members of the Republican Party of Florida's Executive Committees - from precinct committeemen and committeewomen in each county all the way up to the national committeeman and committeewoman - cannot provide their active, public, or financial support to any candidate other than "the Republican candidate" in a general election. The requirement of party loyalty is appropriate given the leadership roles within the party performed by executive committee members.

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