Atlanta, Georgia, October 1, 2024 – Eight members of the Executive Committee of the Libertarian Party of Georgia released a joint statement condemning the decision to enter into a joint fundraising agreement with the Kennedy Victory Fund. The vote to approve the agreement was made at a specially called meeting on September 29th. The dissenters primarily expressed concerns about this action being contrary to the objectives of the Party because it is helping to fund a campaign that is opposing the Libertarian candidate, Chase Oliver. https://votechaseoliver.com/
Georgia Libertarians are urged to express their dissent by adding their signatures to the statement https://www.change.org/OpposeLPGASellOut and attending the 2025 State Convention to participate in electing new board members.
Full text of the statement:
The Georgia Dissent
On September 29, 2024, in a specially called meeting, the Executive Committee of the Libertarian Party of Georgia made undoubtedly one of the worst decisions in the history of the LPGA.
The committee (13:7) voted to join the Kennedy Victory Fund, a joint fund-raising agreement with Robert F. Kennedy. Kennedy is still a candidate for President in some states and is directly supporting Donald Trump, opposing the Libertarian candidate, Chase Oliver. By entering into this agreement, the Executive Committee voted to directly undermine Chase Oliver’s campaign.
The resolution passed with Barker, Bell, Boykin, Cunningham, Johnson, Lindborg, Moldenhower, Phillips, Placie, Richards, Salvia, Sheehan, and Varnell voting in favor. The dissenting votes were Austin, Craig, Graham, Holt, McKinney, Mosely, and Williams.
We, the undersigned, believe that this Executive Committee is acting contrary to the stated purpose of the Libertarian Party of Georgia which is to nominate and support Libertarian candidates, and in doing so, is disregarding its obligation to the membership of the Libertarian Party of Georgia to act as custodial trustees of the assets, resources, and ideals of the Party.
Entering into a fundraising agreement to allow a major party candidate access to additional fundraising directly supports the RFK/Trump campaign to the detriment of the Chase Oliver campaign. This service to one major party is in direct opposition to the stated purpose of the Libertarian Party of Georgia. It is also in direct contradiction to a Resolution passed by the membership at the 2024 State Convention which stated,
“…That the 2024 Convention body does hereby direct the Executive Committee of the Libertarian Party of Georgia to safeguard physical and intangible assets (including such intangible assets as ballot access, membership databases, and membership goodwill), increase the number of affiliates and support the growth of existing affiliates, continually work to expand the membership and reach of the Party, communicate regularly with the membership, hold annual conventions at a time and place that maximizes membership participation, act in accordance with membership wishes to maintain their goodwill, keep accurate records, keep legal filings up to date, and recruit and support candidates to ensure the Party meets the minimum requirements to maintain state-wide ballot access;…”
Due to Georgia’s draconian ballot access laws and canceled Public Service Commissioner elections, Chase Oliver is the only Libertarian on the Georgia ballot in 2024, making future ballot access for LPGA solely dependent on Oliver’s vote totals. As Ballot Access is one of the Party’s most critical assets, it is the responsibility of the Executive Committee of the Libertarian Party of Georgia to do everything within our power to maintain ballot access. This committee has abandoned that responsibility.
We, the undersigned, publicly declare our belief that the joint fundraising agreement with the Kennedy Victory Fund is contrary to the objectives and stated purpose of the Libertarian Party of Georgia. We encourage other Georgia libertarians to join us at our next state convention, where we can elect leadership that will return us to a united, independent third party.
Christine Austin
Colin McKinney
Ryan Graham
Laura Williams
Andrea Holt
Mark Mosley
Danny Dolan
Doug Craig
Add your signature to this statement by signing the petition here https://www.change.org/OpposeLPGASellOut
I don’t think it’s that he’s necessarily a bad choice, but he’s not Trump. The Cabal that took over the libertarian party wants Trump at all costs. This means violating both their fiduciary responsibility as board members, and their responsibilities under the bylaws to support the candidate selected by the convention.
The fact that they don’t agree with his sexual orientation is just icing on the cake for closet homophobes within the party. Do we know the sexual orientation of every past candidate? Maybe. Maybe not. Does it matter?
Fundraising is usually not a zero-sum game. But this LNC is trying to turn it into one.
The candidate has one job: run a campaign that gets the message out. Try to get elected. That does require raising money, but if the message is good money will come in. Money should also come in for the party.
But if the national party either ignores you or fights against your nomination, as the current national committee has been doing, their actions actually take away from the candidate’s ability to raise funds, as well as to get the message out. In turn, that decreases their own fundraising because they look like idiots to the general public.
People don’t give money to idiots, other than to Trump of course.
And these people are idiots.
Sounds like Chase was a poor choice. If he can’t bring funding to the party it is their responsibility to find another way.
It isn’t Oliver’s duty to get people to donate to the Party. That’s on the Party. Oliver’s duty is to get people to donate to, and vote for, him.
And it’s the Party’s duty to back its nominee, which it hasn’t, because the LNC Chair sold us to RFK and Trump, for personal pecuniary gain to our direct organizational detriment. It’s time we called this what it is.
A good presidential candidate will bring in new donors for themselves and for the party.
Historically, presidential campaigns have been the biggest sources of bringing in new donors to the Libertarian Party.
I commend the true Libertarian Party representatives in Georgia for issuing their statement and hope that Georgia Libertarian Party members will add their signatures to the petition.