A message to our fellow Libertarians, from your newly elected Judicial Committee
We’d like to again thank the delegates at the 2026 Libertarian National Convention for their trust and votes electing us to the Judicial Committee this year.
We had quite a decision to make for filling the other five positions, and we received a lot of solicited and unsolicited advice. Thank you all sincerely for your input.
The last time something like this happened was in 2016. Three members of the Judicial Committee were elected at the 2016 Convention and had to appoint the other four members. They chose from people who did not run that year, considering the pool of those who failed to receive over 50% of votes to be insufficiently qualified by the bylaws. In support of maintaining this standard is the fact that the assembled delegates in 2026 voted down motions to approve the next 5 highest vote recipients in the list.
First off, thank you to the other 15 people who stepped up to run this year. We would have been pleased to serve with a great many of you.
The primary qualifications/criteria for determining our pool of candidates was as such:
A Party member for at least 4 years (per Bylaws Article 8, Section 1)
Does not currently serve on the LNC (per Bylaws Article 8, Section 1)
Not in the JC nomination list for this year (per 2016 precedent & failed motions from the floor)
Has been elected with >50% of the delegate votes at any national convention in the past, for any position (LNC, JC, POTUS/VPOTUS)
In attempting to determine the will of the delegates, we noted that something we had in common is our long-term activism within the party, and used that as a criteria as well.
We then tried to choose from people who have not been notable lightning rods of controversy over the past decade or so.
Our list of victims appointees is as follows:
Mr. Patrick Dixon
Former LPTexas Chair, Served on the LNC for 2 terms, recipient of the 2014 Thomas Jefferson Leadership Award, Served on Investigatory Committee re: 2021 LPNH matter
Ms. Mary Gingell
Former LNC Chair 1991-1993, Former LNC Vice Chair 1983-1985, 1989-1991), Former LP California Chair 1981-1983
Mr. Sam Goldstein
Former LNC At-Large, former Chair LPIN, Former Convention Oversight Committee
Dr. Chuck Moulton
Former LNC Vice Chair, Former LPPA Chair, Former LPVA Chair, Former Judicial Committee Chair (2016-2018), Creator of the Moulton Maneuver
Mr. Geoffrey Neale
Former LNC Chair 2002-2004 & 2012-2014, Former LPTexas Chair, Recipient of the 2022 Hall of Liberty Award
Each of these individuals have multiple decades of experience in Libertarian activism just like we do, have shown solid understanding of our Party, its Operations and our Bylaws, are rules oriented and fair, and have come to different but reasonable conclusions on a number of issues over their many years in our party.
We’d just like to personally & publicly thank them and also apologize to them for subjecting them to this.
It’s our honor to serve with them, and serve the Party.
Thank you,
Avens O’Brien & Ken Moellman
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