Sunday, September 05, 2010

Political Extortion

An article in the Lansing State Journal explains how MSU Trustee was ousted at the state convention.

GOP faction worked to oust MSU trustee from place on ticket

Conflicting stories
There is a back story to this that is unprovable, a case of conflicting accounts of a private conversation, but part of the picture nonetheless.

In March, Nugent told the MIRS newsletter that Chuck Yob, former member of the Republican National Committee and a consultant for Strategic National Campaign Management, the Grand Rapids firm run by his son, John, came to him with a proposition. Yob would work for Nugent's campaign for $5,000 a month. If Nugent wasn't interested, Yob would find somebody to run against him.

"The conversation never happened as described," Yob said in an e-mail Tuesday. "It is unfortunate that it has been so mischaracterized. Whether this was done in an effort to build support within the establishment of the Party, I do not know, but it seems to have backfired."

But, as it happened, Lyons did hire Strategic National to manage his campaign, but said that it wasn't Yob who asked him to run.

"I wouldn't have run under those circumstances," he said. "I'm my own man. There is too much involved in a statewide campaign."

Votes 'out of step'
Voorheis said he is "just someone who believes in Mitch."

Glenn said he got the information on Nugent from a young Republican activist and former party vice-chairman named Matt Hall, who circulated an e-mail of his own.

Hall said he considers John Yob a friend, and did give $25 to Lyons' campaign, but said he has no formal or informal affiliation with that campaign.

He said in an e-mail that he went after Nugent because he "voted with the Democrat trustees ... to enact radical social policies pushed by far left campus activists."

"These votes were out of step with the mainstream of the Republican Party and the general public," he said. "The Republican delegates made the right choice replacing him."
Hall campaigned with and for Lyons on the floor of the convention.

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