Word on Long Removal Spreads To Media - Party Purge Should Not Be Tolerated!

July 9, 2009

The ax has fallen.

On July 2, Republican Party of Florida chairman Jim Greer officially removed Deon Long from his precinct committeeman post with the Orange County Republican Executive Committee as punishment for Long’s attempted takeover of OCREC [see “Coup d’état,” April 9].

Back in December, longtime OCREC chairman Lew Oliver was re-elected by one vote over the insurgent Long, a Winter Park lawyer, but only after rejecting more than a dozen or so potential Long votes because they didn’t turn in paperwork on time. Long and his allies sued, but a court dismissed his claims.

Calling that election invalid – two OCREC members abstained, which in Long’s view means that Oliver didn’t get the majority he needed – Long held a sort of shadow meeting in February, at which he was elected OCREC chairman. Except he wasn’t, because the state party didn’t recognize his “victory.” Greer summoned Long to a grievance hearing in March, where Oliver presented his case that Long should be ejected from the local GOP. Long didn’t show.

Finally, last week Long received the not-unexpected decision in a terse, one-page letter: “I accept and adopt the [grievance committee’s] unanimous recommendation that you should be removed from the position of Orange County Republican Precinct Committeeman effective immediately,” Greer wrote. “Please govern yourself accordingly.”

Greer’s decision “doesn’t have any consequences,” Long says dismissively. He recently re-filed his lawsuit against OCREC. He’s all but announced his campaign for Congress against Suzanne Kosmas.

 

 

 

Doug Guetzloe
Chairman
Ax the Tax
www.AxTheTax.org
P. O. Box 531101
Orlando, FL 32853
Phone: (407) 312-1781
Fax: (407) 895-8331
doug@axthetax.org