Last updated on September 8, 2025
They have come to order. Roll is bring called. Dassing (arrived at some point), Lam, Nanna, Vinson seem to be absent. There are about 50 people including an audience.
Public comment.
New Mexico speaker from the affiliate complains that the LP of New Mexico, an affiliate of the Liberal Party, is still using the LP New Mexico name.
There is a motion to adopt the agenda. There is an issue with the posted agenda not matching the one-note. Several motions were missing from the agenda, though they had perhaps been noticed. Voices are elevated. Martin complains that several items were missing. Chair rules that Martin is correct. Move to put convention committee report before motion setting the national convention date. Chadderdon moves to move censure motions to the top of the agenda. Bohler opposes. Martin supports. He goes on for longer than would be advisable to carry Chadderdon’s motion. McGee opposes. Chadderdon defends the motion. There is a motion to extend. There is disorderly debate. Vote is 6-8 against extending time.
They vote on the Chadderdon amendment to move censure to the top of the agenda. Roll call vote. Ayes: Bost, Chadderdon, Dassing is now here, Ford, Martin. Vote is 6 yes, 8 no (I missed a yes).
Vote to adopt agenda: Call for a roll call. Opposed: Dassing, Ford, Thompson, Chadderdon, Vote is 8-4-4. After 45 minutes we have adopted an agenda.
Motion to adopt operator program. Martin: We need people on the ground. We need to pay people to do things, as opposed to using volunteers. Getting people to be paid to do things is good. Martin – it worked in Hawaii. Volunteers are cheaper than people collecting signatures. McMahon: ascribing motives to people is a bad thing. Motion offers up to $5000 a month. McMahon: I am concerned about the fundraising. Where is the money coming from? Could we do targeted fundraising? Prefunding might help.Concern that we are committing to $5000 / month when we are short of money. Martin: Program will largely raise its own money to support itself. They switch to $10,000 total from $5000/month. Amendment passes unanimously.
Vote on the overwatch/operator program: Vote is 16-0-0 in favor.
Convention Oversight: Ford says nice things about many people. He discusses speakers. He urges people to register rooms early for the 2026 convention. Choosing a convention date is very complicated. Feb 18 or 21 dates seemed preferable. States have bylaws problems. There are many states with legal issues, e.g., petitioning windows, no matter when the event is held. The convention committees realizes that it is impossible to please everyone. Indiana is particularly complicated. Weather, bylaws, children in schools, needs for multiple conventions for states where conventions are not-self-funding, state laws, are all issues. Extended debate on extending the discussion by five minutes. They extend.
They vote on setting the convention in Feb 18-21. Vote is 10-0-6 for that date.
Thompson objects to consideration of a motion by Mr. Watkins to monetize emails to the LNC. The motion is “shall the question be considered”. Yes: Bost, Dassing, 2 yes, 8 no, 6 abstain.
Darr takes the gavel. Chair moves to accept resignation of Watkins and reappoint him. Watkins missed five meetings in a row. When the committee was expanded from 3 people to 5, meetings went from 20-30 minutes to 90-120 minutes. When the committee shrank to 3, time went back, too. They move to a counted vote. Passes 15-1, Watkins voting against.
They now discuss Voter Gravity. 27 states have adopted it. It is good software but it is expensive. McMahon: We need to promote use of this software. Before we axe it, we should first try asking affiliates to use it and people to support it financially. From Indiana and Michigan there is support based on experience that it is useful software. Other software was much more expensive. 25 states are now using it; 2 states no longer have a valid email address. Need for training noted. Candidates cannot use it for their own campaigns without paying. A range of experiences with using it was noted. Much positive benefit of Voter Gravity was noted.
Motion to appoint Miss Wong to the Affiliate Support Committee. She has prior experience developing Montana affiliate support for counties. Motion passes 14-1, Thompson opposing.
Motion to amend prior notice rules for motions. Under the proposed rule, everything would require five days notice. Motion passes 12-0-4.
Motion to add designated fund dropdown to web page. Bohler notes LNC has a lack of trust. This change would improve trust. Questions as to how this would work. Would it leave enough money for staff salaries and support, which are currently 80% of the budget. Motion passes 11-3-2.
They advance to executive session to discuss New Mexico.
I missed them coming back. Someone sounded very unhappy about the LNC not doing something.
Next motion…send LPNM a cease and desist order telling them not to use the LP name. The motion just sends a letter. The vote is 14-0-0. Motion passes.
Authorize up to $5000 to support LP Attorney for reasonable expenses to provide pro bono support to the LPNM for ballot access and ownership of the party of name. This is legal action against the Secretary State for not recognizing the affiliate’s candidate as creating ballot access. Vote was 14-0-0
Move to adjourn by Bill Redpath to prevent action on the two censure motions. There is debate. Bohler (I think) apologizes that he made an earlier motion to adjourn, a motion that was not seconded. Vote is (no-Bost, Chadderdon, Dassing, Ford, Martin, McMahon, Nekhaila) Vote is 5-8-1. I missed 1 vote in the 8.
Nekhaila reads his censure motion against Martin. Redpath (I think) seconds. Chadderdon: Martin statements are being taken out of context. He rejects claims in the resolution. Martin claims to have much evidence against the resolution. He will be going to the J.C., I think. He claims this is a set of deep state tactics. Bohler: I think this motion is premature. We need due diligence first. I do not see a not positive coming out of this at all. I move to postpone indefinitely. Redpath seconds. Chadderdon speaks against the motion to postpone indefinitely. Nekhaila agrees with Chadderdon. Votes(No-Chadderdon, Hays, Martin, McMahon, Hertsch, Bost, Thompson, Nekhaila, Ford) 3-9-2 Motion does not pass. We advance to a vote on the censure resolution. No-Bost, Chadderdon, Dassing, Hays, Hertzch, McMahon. They are trying to decide if Martin is allowed to vote. Vote is 2-6-6. The Motion fails.
Redpath moves to adjourn. There is some discussion. There is no second.
Chadderdon moves his motion. Martin seconds. Believes the chair has suppressed specific questions about our legal strategy with respect to the FEC investigation and the pending litigation. I raised issues with respect to the Chair’s letter to Mr. Sarwark which revealed legal strategy to someone not involved in the litigation. The actions given in the resolution need to be approved or rejected by the board.
Bohler: We are not seeing the forest for the trees. This motion is the wrong way to go. Nekhaila: He denies the charges at considerable length. Martin supports Chadderdon’s motion. All these statements were very coherent. Nekhaila says that he did not allow Malagon to eject people from the meeting. Malagon did it himself. Martin makes charges but does not support them. I disagree with Sarwark’s interpretation of what happened. Assignments of malintent are not acceptable. I only ask for decorum. I believe I was acting properly as CEO between meetings.
We advance to a vote on censuring Bohler abstain. Chadderdon Yes. Dassing abstain. Ford abstain. Hays No Knebel No Martin Yes. McMahon No. Herstzch, Thompson, Redpath No. Bost Abstains. Darr abstain. Vote is 2-6-6.
Motion to adjourn. Second. Passes without objection. Nekhaila says he hopes to work with Martin and Operation Overwatch.
Oh, my, a five hour meeting.
And double LOL- oh poor Steve, Malagon ejected people on his own? Who knows as the Chair? Did you – Steve – do anything about it?? When are you going to take some responsibility for once?
=== I believe I was acting properly as CEO between meetings.===
LOL! No you did not have that power. It is shocking you think you did. And it’s funny you let your buddy get away with severe breaches in decorum but did nothing – in fact – disgracefully tried to promote him which thankfully failed.
Article on IPR says the 2026 convention is in May? That seems to make a lot more sense than Michigan in the middle of February,
February is the 2028 convention.
The censure items were a giant waste of time and energy that could have been better spent on productive things.
The real reason people aren’t supporting the LNC right now is because of this childish tit-for-tat going on, unprofessional and unnecessary.
New Mexico is a problem; the SoS is enabling deception and that’s a no-go.
A 2028 Convention over President’s Day weekend creates a legal and logistical nightmare for multiple states whose conventions are tied to state law in part. Plus, it throws off the determination of delegate counts and determination of states who can appoint to the Platform and Credentials Committee, which are based on numbers of national sustaining members at a given time before the convention, not to mention the time for the Bylaws Committee to do their work. This is a mess waiting to happen, good intentions aside.
Is that right?
You know the “real reason” donations have dried up and membership is down by ~50% since Mises takeover in Reno?
There are many reasons, not just one reason.
Yeah, the real reason is that the infighting has intensified since Reno.
We saw that with the post-Clark schism in the 80s and also with the Barr debacle in 2008. It’s cyclical, unfortunately, and it won’t change until there’s actual professionalism on the LNC and a clear recognition by its members that business is business and not personal. Libertarians have trouble getting to that point for whatever reason.