From Independent Political Report:
Michigan Libertarians Dispute LNC Region Formation Agreement at Libertarian Party Convention
By Jordan Willow Evans on May 25, 2024 12:37 PM
Delegates with the Libertarian Party of Michigan are disputing a recent regional agreement that adds the party to Region 1 of the Libertarian National Committee, claiming the party chair was not authorized to sign such a document.
According to email correspondence shared with Independent Political Report by the delegation caucus acting secretary Emily Salvette, Andrew Chadderdon allegedly admitted to signing the Region 1 Formation Agreement and voting on behalf of Michigan without consulting the state party’s executive committee or the national convention delegation. Earlier in the week, it was announced on the LNC public business list that a new Region 1 had formed, consisting of 14 states and over a fifth of the party’s national membership.
Salvette goes on to write that Libertarian Party of Michigan delegates have historically exclusively held the authority to authorize regional agreements and vote on regional representatives. Following this news, the 18 remaining members of the Michigan delegation unanimously elected new leadership during their caucus meeting and passed a resolution declaring Chadderdon’s actions unauthorized and the agreement invalid.
A copy of the email sent to Libertarian National Committee Secretary Caryn Ann Harlos can be viewed below:
Dear Secretary Harlos:
At 4:30 pm yesterday (May 24, 2024) the Michigan national convention delegation caucused in the convention hall. Andrew Chadderdon was asked to explain public reports that Michigan had agreed to join Region 1. He admitted he had signed the Region 1 Formation Agreement and voted on behalf of Michigan to select regional representatives and alternates without a vote of our national convention delegation and without notice to and a vote of the LPM’s Libertarian Executive Committee authorizing him to do so. Neither had he notified the members of the LPM of his intention to do so.
He claimed he had the authority to do so even though for at least the past 40 years the LPM’s national convention delegates have in fact exercised the exclusive power to vote to authorize the signing of our Region Formation Agreement and the exclusive power to cast their votes in concert with the delegates from other states in our region to select our LNC Representative and Alternate. He then said he was done speaking to us and left the caucus.
The remaining 18 members of the caucus present then proceeded to unanimously elect Michael Saliba as chair of the caucus meeting and Bill Hall as vice chair, and after discussion unanimously adopted the following resolution:
WHEREAS, Andrew Chadderdon was not authorized by the Libertarian Party of Michigan to sign the Region 1 Formation Agreement;
NOW, THEREFORE, the Libertarian Party of Michigan did not join Region 1, as its signature on the Region 1 Formation Agreement is not valid.
Please reflect this in your records and note that Michigan’s national membership should not be allocated to Region 1.
Regards,
Emily Salvette,
Acting Secretary for the LPM Caucus Meeting
In an email response, Harlos asserted that the agreement was valid and that the chair had the authority to sign it. Despite the dispute, Harlos advised the Michigan delegation to appeal to the Libertarian Party’s Judicial Committee if they wished to contest the decision further.
