WPRO Newsroom
Since outgoing chair of the RIGOP, Mark Zaccaria, declared Mark Smiley the winner in a near-tie vote for chairman Sunday evening, some questions have been raised about the process by which Smiley was deemed victorious. Originally, Zaccaria declared the vote invalid, but overturned his ruling this weekend after an "investigation" into the number of voters and ballots cast.
Dr. Dan Harrop, Smiley's opponent who was beat out by one vote, is now planning to contest the election. On Tuesday, an email claiming to be from Harrop blasted Smiley and his supporters for "bigotry."
Mark Smiley, the newly elected RIGOP chair, said the email is entirely untrue.
"It's completely unfounded," Smiley told WPRO Tuesday.
In the email, the group alleged that a comedic routine performed at RIGOP's Christmas party was racist towards Hispanics. Some, the email said left the party in disgust. Smiley denies that, saying that the chair of the Hispanic Caucus helped put the routine together.
"It was funny," said Smiley. "This is the first time I've ever heard anyone was offended."
The email, although sent from what appears to be Harrop's email account, said it was from the group "Youth for the Future of the Republican Party of Rhode Island."
"We have no idea who this group is," Smiley said. "They've come out of no where."
He said it's possible the group was created last night or Tuesday morning.
