By Kim Kalunian, WPRO News
An email blasting supporters of newly elected RIGOP chairman, Mark Smiley, may end in a lawsuit.
Raymond McKay, president of the Rhode Island Republican Assembly, called the email “libel” and said he was in conversations with the Assembly’s attorneys. When asked if the Rhode Island Republican Assembly, a member of the National Federation of Republican Assemblies, would sue, McKay told WPRO, “I cannot comment on that, and that should speak volumes.”
The email, sent Tuesday morning, accuses McKay and Smiley’s advisors of being bigoted towards Hispanics. The email comes from “Youth for the Future of the Republican Party,” a group McKay and outgoing RIGOP chair, Mark Zaccaria, say they’ve never heard of.
Terrence George, chairman of the College Republican Federation of Rhode Island, hasn't heard of the group either.
“No I didn’t send it out and was not behind it at all,” he said.
George, a student at Brown University, told WPRO that he saw the email as “counterproductive.”
“I think the rumors that have been spread within the party over the last few weeks…are very childish and can’t imagine it makes the general public think very highly of this party,” he said.
George said he thinks the national party should intervene to fix the problems the RIGOP can’t seem to fix on their own.
“It’s shameful that a party that wants to be in charge of the larger public can’t even handle its own affairs,” he said.
Barbara Ann Fenton, the new chairwoman of the Rhody Young Republicans, called the acts described in the email “frustrating and disappointing.” She said the message and tone of the email was contrary to the “positive and growing” young republican movement.
“We were not behind the letter released earlier in the day,” Fenton wrote in an email to WPRO.
She added, “It’s all the more stunning when we see a few of our elders go deep in the mud like this.”
She said the Rhody Young Republicans are working to promote equality within the party and even the playing fields for people of all races and sexual orientations.
McKay said in order for a group to legally use the word “republican” in their organization’s name, they must appear before the Republican Committee – something McKay, as the parliamentarian for the group, knows hasn’t happened.
Fellow Republicans, William Ricci and John Deviney, were both named in the email, too (Note: John was actually listed as "Sean"). The pair, along with their telephone numbers, were listed as press contacts. They told WPRO Tuesday that neither of them was aware their information was included in the release. They also don’t know who sent it.
The email comes from an address that says it belongs to Dr. Daniel Harrop. Harrop was defeated by Smiley for the RIGOP chairman’s position by one vote. But Ricci and Deviney, close friends of Harrop, say they’re unfamiliar with that address, and don’t think it actually belongs to him.
“I don’t personally think Harrop is behind it,” said Deviney.
“Anybody can make up a Yahoo address,” said Ricci. “It seems like somebody just trying to stir up trouble, to be perfectly honest.”
The email names Deviney and Ricci as point of contact to corroborate a story about an early March Republican party meeting where the pair was reportedly “horrified by the actions [of] the Smiley campaign.”
Though Deviney and Ricci both visit Rhode Island from time to time, they’re now residents of Richmond, VA. Although Deviney said he believes Smiley’s campaign exaggerated Harrop’s “friendliness to the Hispanic community,” neither said they were “horrified” by anything – except the fact that their personal information was included in a mass email without their permission.
“It’s a step too far,” said Ricci of the email. “It feeds into an already preconceived notion that people have about the Rhode Island Republican Party… that we’re a circular firing squad.”
McKay and Zaccaria said the Republican Party does not sponsor bigotry.
“We have friends and members that are Hispanic or black,” McKay said.
The email comes the day before Harrop is expected to challenge the ruling on last week’s RIGOP chairman election. On Wednesday evening, Harrop will go before the RIGOP’s Credentials Committee, which Zaccaria said is still being formed. John Harpootian will chair the committee, which will include an additional 8 to 14 members. Zaccaria said the bylaws on the issue are vague, but he expects the committee to rule Wednesday evening.
“Could it have been handled better? Yes,” McKay said of Thursday’s vote. The initial vote was ruled invalid by Zaccaria and then overturned Sunday; Smiley was declared the victor. McKay said they worked within the bylaws and followed Robert’s Rules when their own guidelines fell short.
Dr. Dan Harrop has not returned calls requesting comment.
