Petition to Remove McArdle As National Chair

Last updated on August 17, 2023

A petition has been launched, calling for the removal of Angela McArdle as National Chair.

You can read it and decide whether or not to sign it at https://www.change.org/p/libertarian-party-chair-resolution

Why this petition matters

Started by Joseph Howe

We, the undersigned members of the party, former members and concerned stakeholders, submit this petition calling for the immediate removal of Angela McArdle, board member, who has engaged in a number of unethical and harmful behaviors that are detrimental to the party and its members. These behaviors include:

1. Profiting off of their board position by utilizing crowdfunding to draw compensation for a volunteer position and using the party name to promote a business that uses marketing that purposefully offends the LGBT community. A community that has been historically oppressed by the state and that our organization has advocated for. 

2. Advocating for right-wing culture war positions that have caused reputational harm to the party, specifically by using their social media platforms to promote controversial and divisive opinions that result in member attrition and plummeting fundraising. 

3. Interfering in state party affiliate internal business and using party funds to engage the coercive power of the state to force compliance, specifically by using party resources to sue a state party affiliate and its members in an attempt to influence their decision-making processes.

4. Directing party funds to frivolous lawsuits to defend non-ballot access MAGA candidates while failing to properly fund ballot access races, specifically by allocating a significant amount of party funds to defend candidates who hold extreme views, while neglecting to provide adequate funding for ballot access campaigns in key states.

5. Taking direction from an outside political action committee, which may be in violation of FEC regulations, specifically by acting as a liaison between the party and a PAC that advocates for strategies and public positions that do not align with the party’s principles.

6. Building a coalition that involves elements that support the aggressive invasion of Ukraine by Russia and that involved a convicted sex offender, specifically by forming alliances with groups and individuals who hold extreme and harmful views that are contrary to the party’s non-aggression values and principles.

7. Initially agreeing to participate in a fundraising event for another party’s candidate, whose positions are antithetical to libertarian principles. Supporters of the chair have made statements claiming the chair was not participating or that she had schedule conflicts. Contradictory evidence has been displayed publicly: a social media post promoting the chair as a participant, was “liked” by the chair. 

8. In addition to the grounds stated above, this board member has engaged in gatekeeping activities by publicly displaying bias against a presidential candidate in a recent social media posts. As a board member, this individual has a responsibility to remain neutral and impartial during party nomination processes, yet we have observed instances where they have used their position to publicly attack a candidate, resulting in their withdrawal of candidacy for our nomination. This behavior undermines the nomination process and violates the trust of members that our national committee will remain impartial during this process.

9. Oversaw the decimation of national party staff, resulting in the loss of decades of institutional and operational knowledge. This culminated with the loss of Robert Krause, due to incompetence or purposeful contract delivery delays, robbing party members of the a twenty year staffer. This will result in further collapse of membership and further hamper ballot access, fundraising and operational party excellence.  

These actions are unacceptable and undermine the integrity of the party.

Therefore, we call for the immediate removal of Angela McArdle from the committee.

We urge the board to take swift action to address these issues and restore trust in the party.