Third Party Watch asked Emily Salvette, William Hall, and Mike Saliba for comments:
Emily Salvette responded: Our comments: National bylaws are clear that every delegate at national convention should have a vote on regional representation and MI Chair Andrew Chadderdon secretly worked with other chairs to form the region, select representation and appoint himself LNC alternate. I’ll forward emails from LNC Secretary Caryn Ann Harlos telling us it’s a done deal and appeal to the JC if we don’t like it.
…Emily
The message (edited to deal with the Secretary’s comment ‘The connection here is terrible’) from the Secretary was “It’s been accepted by LNC and is valid agreement. The Chair has that authority. Feel free to appeal to national JC.”
On Sat, May 25, 2024 at 8:19 AM Emily Salvette <esalvette@gmail.com wrote:
Caryn Ann Harlos, Secretary
Libertarian National Committee
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
Often times the district is formed by agreement before the convention, as is always the case in CA. I believe this was the case with Ford’s region 2022 as well.
Article 7, 2: “Representative regions” may be formed or dissolved once every two years during a period beginning 90 days before the beginning of and ending on the second day of the national convention, and notice of new formations or dissolutions must be given in writing to the national Secretary prior to the close of the convention at which they take place.”
As to the national JC, they have yet to hear a case, because none have come forward.
If no caucus of all delegates in a region met to participate in a formation vote or an election of reps, then such formation and election are invalid on their face. I think a lawsuit May well be the best course of action here since the judicial committee is at this time kind of a kangaroo court.
But you must first exhaust the facially credible internal appeals.
Even if the Judicial Committee is a “kangaroo court,” it makes sense to exhaust all internal remedies before resorting to the government courts. And if Michigan is any indication, the government courts seem to think that’s how it should be done as well.
“kangaroo court?”
LOL! Talk about clueless!
Do you know what the Judicial Committee has had for appeals so far?
One case from a sub-affiliate of LPMI, which was not in proper form and not even in our jurisdiction per the Bylaws. That’s it. We spent the most time adjusting our rules at the beginning of term.
It’s disingenuous, if not downright false, to call the Judicial Committee a kangaroo court when nothing has happened.
SMH
Seebeck, Judicial Committee Member