DC GOP Blog

Friday, February 10th will be my last day as Executive Director of the DC Republican Committee. I will be moving to Massachusetts, closer to family, and I will be starting a new position as the Executive Director of a statewide organization. Please make sure to stay in contact. The new Executive Director of the DC Republican Committee will be announced shortly, stay tuned.

During my time as the Executive Director, under the leadership of Chairman Bob Kabel, the DC Republican Committee has experienced a tremendous amount of growth, both financially and in the press. Some of my most treasured memories are with the members who make up the DC Republican Committee. Without the support from loyal and committed members like you, the DC Republican Committee could not be as successful as we are.

In 2010, we ran four excellent candidates for DC Council. Tim Day and Dave Hedgepeth both received the Washington Post endorsements. Later on, the DC Republican Committee and the efforts of Tim Day would be credited for removing disgraced Ward 5 DC Councilmember Harry Thomas from office. Without the hard work of Tim Day and the DC Republican Committee, it's very possible Thomas would still be stealing money from DC taxpayers.

In 2010, the DC Republican Committee and the efforts of Patrick Mara, would prove to be enough to win us a seat on the State Board of Education. It's not too often that incumbents lose their reelections, especially in DC, and we were a driving force to get Patrick elected in 2010. His work on the School Board will help our city for years to come.

More recently, in the special election in 2011, we came in a close 2nd, despite beating the incumbent Councilmember and running a special election campaign with very little time to prepare.

As we gear up for what's ahead in 2012, the DC Republican Committee goes into the New Year with virtually no debt and a substantial surplus. That is only possible because of the hard work from so many dedicated individually who make up the leadership of the DC Republican Committee.

The hard work of our Chairman, the loyal support from the Executive Committee members, the generosity of our Advisory Council members and the dedication from our candidates and our past candidates have re-branded the DCGOP in a way that we should all be proud of. I am truly grateful for having the opportunity to be part of it. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Dear DC Republican,

It's a good day for the District of Columbia. A corrupt elected official was forced to resign due to many factors including the DC Republican Committee.

As you may recall, in 2010, after the Democratic Primary, former Ward 5 Republican DC Council candidate, Tim Day & the DCGOP were the first to report irregularities from Team Thomas. Team Thomas was the alleged "non-profit" operated by former Ward 5 DC Councilmember Harry Thomas. Mr. Thomas used his DC Council office and staff to solicit public and private funds, yet failed to report the income. Subsequently, the DC Attorney General began his own investigation. The Attorney General brought civil charges against Mr. Thomas and Mr. Thomas agreed to repay back the city $300,000 yet refused to admit guilt. Ward 1 School Board member, Patrick Mara, was the first elected official to call on Mr. Thomas to resign. Until this week, Mr. Thomas defended himself, accusing the media, the Washington Post editorial page and the DCGOP for hyping up false charges against him.
 

Some of our elected leaders and their lack of ethics is unfortunate and appalling. Some of our elected leaders believe their actions have no repercussions. Tim Day, the DCGOP, many in the media, the DC Attorney General and US Attorney deserve a lot of credit. Without these people and organizations, it's very possible Mr. Thomas would still be playing golf and driving his expensive SUV and motorcycle using taxpayer funds.

Below is a picture graph provided by the US Attorney's Office outlining how Mr. Thomas spent some of the misappropriated funds for his personal use.

Below are quotes from Federal authorities from last Friday's press conference outlining the ongoing investigation. The investigation is expanding to staff, associates and even the DC Young Democrats. Here are some quotes:

"Almost immediately after taking office, (Mr. Thomas) made a decision that he was going to steal money intended for our youth."

"Thomas stole money designated for substance abuse programs for at-youth risk -- directly comes from taxpayers when they mark box on return."

"Almost immediately after Thomas started stealing, Thomas viewed the city as his personal piggy bank."

The ongoing Federal investigation by the US Attorney's office also included new revelations about Mr. Thomas. Mr. Thomas used the Children and Youth Investment Trust Corp, a quasi-independent entity from DC Government, to direct city grant money to a nonprofit that funneled most of it back to entities controlled by him. Even before taking office in January 2007, Mr. Thomas was working to get government funds for an organization that would kick back money to him. He appropriated tax dollars designated for drug prevention for children at risk to pay for a presidential inaugural ball organized by the DC Young Democrats.

As DC Republicans you can do something about this. You can support the DCGOP and our candidates. You can get involved with our efforts in the city. You can register as a Republican voter and take a stand against the Democratic leadership of our city.

Click here to donate to the DCGOP.

Click here to register as a DC Republican voter.

If you want to get involved in the grassroots level and help our candidates, please contact Paul Craney at (202) 407-7069 or email him at paul@dcgop.com. We want to hear from you.

Dear DC Republican,

As many DC Republicans get ready for the holiday season, some us will leave town to visit family and friends. Others will remain in town as family and friends visit them. Either way, politics is not usually on the mind.

If you are in town during the holidays, there are still opportunities to sign petitions for the DC Republican candidates. In order for candidates to get on the April 3, 2012 DC Presidential and local Primary, they need to collect hundreds of signatures from registered DC Republican voters. Without these signatures, candidates cannot be placed on the ballot. Several Republican candidates including Presidential candidates are still collecting signatures and they need your help.

The DC Republican Committee urges all Republicans to help the Presidential candidates and sign all their petitions. Your signature is not an endorsement for one candidate over another, nor does it bind you to vote for a particular candidate. Rather, with your signature, you are participating in the democratic process and helping candidates get on the DC Presidential Primary ballot.

If you would like to sign the petitions, please email us at INFO@DCGOP.COM and we will put you in touch with a volunteer from the appropriate campaign or campaigns.

Thank you and I hope to hear from you soon.

Washington, DC: The DC Republican Committee made the following public statement today regarding the announcement that Ronald Moten, a lifelong member of the Democratic Party, changed his party affiliation to Republican.

"The DC Republican Committee has grown by 1,657 new registered voters this year. Some are Republicans moving into the city, some are youth registering for the first time, and some, like Ron Moten, are life-long DC residents making the brave and courageous decision to change party affiliation and begin a new era in DC politics," stated Bob Kabel, Chairman of the DC Republican Committee.

"The era of one-party rule over this town is going to come to an end. All across the District people come up to me and say: 'Yes, I like what you are doing. I want more accountability, I want more honesty and I want more choices.' I am just getting to know Ron and am excited by his energy and enthusiasm," concluded Kabel.

This weekend, the Washington Post will print an op-ed by Ron describing his decision for registering as a Republican. You can read the op-ed online BY CLICKING HERE. The Moten campaign will have a press conference at 2:00pm on Saturday at the Woodlawn Cemetery located at 4611 Benning Road, SE. At the press conference Ron will outline why he decided to make the change in party affiliation.

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Washington, DC: The DC Republican Committee sent the attached letter to DC Council Chairman Kwame Brown encouraging him to auction off the DC Council luxury suite in the Verizon Center before the beginning of the Washington Capitals season which starts on October 8th. Last week, some DC Councilmembers used excuses that they needed to raise taxes for the sake of the "have nots" of our city. Others claimed there were no good alternatives but to raise taxes. The DC Republican Committee is asking Council Chairman Brown to auction the free luxury tickets received by any DC Councilmembers in order for them to pay their fair share for the city's "have nots."

"Every year luxury tickets become a distraction for DC Councilmembers. They complain and moan to the media about who didn't get what ticket. What they don't understand is that DC residents find this very annoying. Like moths to a light, they just can't help themselves from accepting these so called free tickets and talking about it. We are asking Chairman Brown to put every ticket on EBay and deposit the proceeds into the General Fund. It's hypocritical for Councilmembers to accept these tickets, while increasing taxes and using taxpayer money to redecorate their Council offices," stated Bob Kabel, Chairman of the DC Republican Committee.

"Moody's may have downgraded the District's outlook but Chairman Brown can easily use EBay to upgrade our finances," concluded Kabel.

# # #

Below is what DC municipal regulations say about Councilmembers using their Constituent Service Funds. Since 2004, 9 Councilmembers have used their Constituent Service Funds to make over $5,000 in political contributions to various DC Democratic organizations.

Here is what Councilmember Mary Cheh said in answering uncomfortable questions about Councilmembers using their Constituent Service Funds to make political contributions to Democrat organizations on Kojo Nnamdi's Politics Hour. List to it here or read the transcript below. Never once has Councilmember Cheh or any other Councilmember cited DC law or regulation defending their political contributions to Democratic organizations with Constituent Services Funds. It's because the law they are referring to does not exist.

Time: 1:06 - 1:13
Mary Cheh: "When I asked for the $50.00 back, it's because I was uncertain about it."
(Councilmember Cheh sent a letter to the Office of Campaign Finance on September 1, 2011 stating her request for a refund was because it was "political in nature.")

Time: 1:37 - 1:45
Mary Cheh: "It's not the beneficiary of the money, it's the purpose for which the money was used, if it's used for a political purpose, then you may be talking about something..." (Public records show that political contribution by Constituent Service Funds were made to Democratic groups, not charitable causes.)

Time: 2:26 - 2:52
Mary Cheh: "If you read the limitations in the law... it talks about the purposes for which the money is being used. It doesn't say the beneficiary of the money. Therefore there was 2 things you can't do essentially. You can't spend money for political purposes and two you can't spend on yourself. Until you establish that these were spent for political purposes or for personal benefit, then your charges are irresponsible." (Public records show that political contribution by Constituent Service Funds were made to Democratic groups, not charitable causes.)

The DC Republican Committee requested from the Director of the DC Office of Campaign Finance to begin an investigation into 10 of the 13 DC Councilmembers for making political contributions to DC Democratic organizations from their Constituent Services Funds. Constituent Services Funds are designed to help residents in need. On August 29th, the Washington Post called for the termination of Constituent Services Funds. Read the editorial here.

To view a copy of the letter sent to the Office of Campaign Finance, click here.

To view a copy of the list of Councilmembers who violated DC municipal regulations, click here.

A copy of our press release may be found below.

 

 

Washington, DC: The DC Republican Committee made the following statement today and sent the attached letter to the Director of the DC Office of Campaign Finance requesting an investigation.

"10 of the 13 DC Councilmembers violated District law when they made political contributions through their Constituent Services Funds to Democratic organizations. Instead of using these funds within the guidelines, Councilmembers filled the bank accounts of Democrat organizations. This type of abuse stinks worse than a cow going through an onion patch," stated Bob Kabel, Chairman of the DC Republican Committee.

"We applaud Mr. Mara for being the first elected official to call for the elimination of these funds. District residents deserve to have elected officials who can obey the law and we encourage the Office of Campaign Finance to enforces the consequences," concluded Kabel.

DC municipal regulations prohibit the use to Constituent Services Funds for partisan activities. Section 3014.2 states, "Citizen-Service Programs shall be prohibited from participating in any of the following; (a) Promoting or opposing a political party or committee; (b) Promoting or opposing the nomination or election of an individual to public office; (c) Promoting or opposing any initiative, referendum or recall measure; (d) Distributing campaign literature or paraphernalia; (e) Using any funds for personal purposes of the elected official; and (f) Conducting any other campaign activities covered in this Title." If it is proven that a violation has occurred, the Constituent Services Fund of a Councilmember may be fined a maximum of $2,000 per violation (see 3DCMR Chapter 37, Section 3711.2(u)) http://www.ocf.dc.gov/nws/pdf_files/pn_150.pdf

 

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Washington, DC: The DC Republican Committee sent (via email and certified mail) the attached letter to each Councilmember except Councilmember Harry Thomas. The letter challenges the Council in joining Patrick Mara in publically calling on Councilmember Harry Thomas to resign. Patrick Mara is the State Board of Education member representing Ward 1 and is the highest DC elected official to publically call on Councilmember Thomas to resign.

"Councilmember Thomas has never once given an explanation for the accusations being charged against him. As a result, he has lost the publics' trust and is collecting a salary that is undeserved. We hope the DC Council will join Patrick Mara in his public statement calling on Thomas to resign," stated Bob Kabel, Chairman of the DC Republican Committee.

"It is not enough that Councilmember Thomas resigned his Committee Chairmanship. Anything less than a full resignation from the DC Council is an insult to District residents," concluded Kabel.

# # #

CHAIRMAN
BOB KABEL
 

Dear DC Republican,

Thank you! Tuesday's special election for the At-Large DC Council position was very close. According to unofficial results, Patrick Mara received 11,096 votes, only 1,120 shy of beating Vincent Orange There were 9 candidates total and Patrick received the 2nd most votes and won Wards 2, 3 and 6. Right now we are waiting for absentee ballots and provisional ballots to be counted which will take several days.

The incumbent Councilmember Sekou Biddle was defeated and finished in 3rd, well behind Patrick. Patrick ran a great race and had a lot of momentum due to the hard work from DC Republicans like you.

Again, thank you for helping Patrick and for helping the DC Republican Committee.

Sincerely,

At a candidates' forum Monday evening in Zion Baptist Church on Blagden Avenue NW, the youngest candidate for the At-Large council seat, Joshua Lopez, told the 75 people present that “if you elect the same people over and over, nothing will change.” Lopez promised that if elected, he would bring “new ideas” to the District government, which he said needs “checks and balances.”

Lopez was right about what is needed. But at age 27, he is not yet the candidate to establish “checks and balances” and to be the voice of a political opposition on the oh-so-cozy, 13-member council.

That candidate is Patrick Mara, the only Republican running in the April 26 special election to fill an At-Large seat. It is now held provisionally by Sekou Biddle, who was appointed in January by the DC Democratic Committee.

(Biddle did not come to Monday night's forum. As someone announced for him, he was being arrested by the U.S. Capitol Police, along with Mayor Vincent Gray, Chairman Kwame Brown and four other council members. Gray's office boasted in a press release that they were arrested for “civil disobedience” as a result of their protest on the Capitol grounds of the Congress's restrictions on District budget autonomy in last weekend's 11th hour spending agreement for 2011. It was political theater, designed to make a point about the District's lack of complete self-government.)

Mara, elected in November to the Ward 1 seat on the Board of Education, is a sensible, urban Republican. He would be the only Republican on the Council. It now consists of 11 avowed Democrats, one Independent, David Catania (At Large, who was a Republican when first elected in 1997), and one faux Independent, Michael Brown (At Large), who is a Democrat to the bone.and has not denied it.

Enhancing DC Democracy
Readers of these Reports to DC Voters will recognize that since their inception in 2005, they have endorsed no candidate. I depart from that abstemious neutrality now because I see in this special election an unusual opportunity for the enhancement of democratic (small d) politics in the District.

Putting a Republican on the council would create an Opposition, always a good thing in a representative legislature, especially a small one dominated by one party. It would be a step towards making the District a two-party polity, one that Democrats, locally and nationally, can no longer take for granted. Winning the Democratic nomination might no longer assure victory at the general election. The November balloting could become meaningful. Who could oppose that?

Mara Can Win
Mara is attractive, and he can win. He took the Republican nomination away from veteran council member Carol Schwartz (At Large) in the 2008 primary and last November he won his Board of Education seat by ousting an incumbent. With two prominent, regular Democrats (Biddle and Vincent Orange, a National Committeeman and former two-term council member) and two independent but little-known Democrats (Lopez and Bryan Weaver) on the ballot, Democratic votes will be scattered and Mara could grab a plurality—and victory.

Patrick Mara is 40 years old, owns a house on 11th Street NW in Columbia Heights, owns an interest in a pub down the street, and has his own political and business consulting enterprise, Dolan Associates. He is a small businessman, and he argues that the District should offer more “incentives” to the creation of small business.

Of middling height, with auburn hair (“it turns red in summer”) and blue eyes, he has an open, outgoing manner and is not afraid to admit in public that he doesn't know something (I have heard him do it).

Against Tax Increases, For Less Spending
Mara portrays himself as “socially progressive, fiscally responsible.” Which is to say, he supports the District's same-sex marriage law and would cut the municipal budget—the payroll of 32,000 employees (too many for a city of 600,000, he says) and the fleet of official cars.

He opposes all tax increases. He would help the District's jobless find work by offering them adult education and job training, not by imposing hiring requirements on employers.

He would end what he calls the “preferences” of council members, notably the official license plates that immunize them from parking tickets. He would cut their salary ($125,000) by 10 percent. He says the cut should be larger but, if elected, he would go for 10 percent as attainable.

Under the heading of transparency, he would require elected officials to disclose—on the Internet-- their financial holdings (and their spouses' holdings) and publish their tax returns. Would he publish his return before the voting on April 26 or a list of his assets? Mara blushed and demurred, saying such disclosure would reveal how little income he has and that to do it alone “wouldn't be fair” to him. His job on the Board of Education pays $15,000.

Mara, a tad vaguely, says he would require DC government employees with official credit or debit cards to disclose more about how they use those cards to spend the taxpayers' money.

An Envoy to Hill Republicans
Mara argues that if elected, he could serve as the District's first envoy to Republicans in Congress. He would strive to persuade them that DC deserves a vote in the House. He said Monday evening that he has already met with more than 20 Hill Republicans.

A graduate of Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY, where is is president of the alumni association and holds a seat on the board of trustees, Mara has an MBA from Babson College. He avers that he has a strong interest in renewable energy and has been an advocate of “green” policies since his student days.

The special election takes place on Tuesday, April 26. Early voting has begun at the Board of Elections, 441 4th Street NW. For more information, go to www. dc.boee.us. []