Republican disloyalty proceedings to begin

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Republican disloyalty proceedings to begin

The continuing saga of the Haywood County Republican Party’s attempts to deal with a troublesome member of an antagonistic faction will take a dramatic turn this week, one way or the other.

Monroe Miller is a HCGOP precinct chair and also serves on the party’s executive committee, despite his association with the Haywood Republican Alliance, a splinter group that has shared a hostile relationship with the county party.

A few weeks ago, Miller was served with a notice of a special called meeting of the HCGOP, the purpose of which is to conduct a hearing that could expel him from the party.

“Throughout a good portion of my life, I have honored the following principle — if someone is either elected or appointed to a position of power, and they either abuse that power, or intimidate someone because of that power, I will go after them,” Miller said in a pre-written statement obtained by The Smoky Mountain News.

It’s precisely that attitude that has rankled some executive committee members; last month, Miller reported that the county party had passed a resolution charging him and four others — the so-called “Haywood Five” — with party disloyalty. GOP leaders have contended the resolution did not in fact charge the members with party disloyalty, but have been unwilling to comment further on the resolution’s content.

While the consequences of that resolution are still unknown — HCGOP Chairman Ken Henson and other party officials haven’t responded to repeated emails over the course of a month — the notice of the Aug. 3 hearing was delivered to Miller.

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During the hearing, which will take place at the Bethel Rural Community Organization Fellowship Hall, the executive committee will hear a petition submitted by members of the executive committee July 13 calling for Miller’s removal from the executive committee.

Miller is accused of both party disloyalty and gross inefficiency; he thinks the charges are baseless, vague and part of a witch-hunt due to his criticisms of the HCGOP.

“I have shone a bright light of what is happening during these HCGOP meetings, as I did during Pat Carr’s tenure as HCGOP Chair, where she was later thrown out,” Miller said in his statement.

At the hearing, Miller will be given a chance to respond to and defend himself against the charges. The executive committee will then render a determination of responsibility.

Depending on that decision, Miller could be sanctioned or removed from the executive committee.

In the event he is held responsible, the hearing notice states, “the committee may consider a resolution to ask the NCGOP State Executive Committee to consider further actions, including removal from future service.”

Such a finding of responsibility would require a two-thirds majority of committee members present; implementing sanctions would also require a two-thirds vote, but a referral of the charges to the NCGOP for additional penalties would require only a majority vote.

The meeting will also be held in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order, which, according to the hearing notice, requires disciplinary issues to be held in closed session — meaning the meeting won’t be open to members of the public, or even members of the HCGOP who do not sit on the executive committee.