A journalist from a prominent news outlet faced a stern rebuke from the newly elected chair of a Virginia GOP committee. The chairman intervened when the reporter inquired about the participation of Democrats in the election process.
Controversy has surrounded the Warren County Republican Committee (WCRC) since a tumultuous mass meeting on February 12. Allegations of a fraudulent election, violations of bylaws, and Democrats unexpectedly receiving ballots have sparked debate. Conservatives were reportedly barred from entry due to supposed “fire code” violations.
Whistleblowers, who previously spoke to the news outlet, described the event as a “Trojan horse.” They accused so-called RINOs, or Republicans In Name Only, of orchestrating the meeting to allow Democrats to vote for the new WCRC chairman, David Silek.
Silek, known for labeling library protestors as “right-wing extremists” and “Nazis” due to their opposition to books on transgender topics for children, was pitted against Scott Lloyd, a devout Catholic and former director in the Trump administration.
Among Silek’s prominent RINO supporters are Warren County Sheriff Crystal Cline and County Supervisor Hugh Henry. Both have expressed anti-Catholic sentiments, with Cline criticizing opponents of transgender children’s books as “radicals” online. Henry allegedly commented during a board meeting about a “Catholic problem that needed resolving.”
Despite Lloyd’s loss, garnering 206 votes to Silek’s 225, he has filed an appeal. Supported by numerous signatures and affidavits, he aims to highlight the disorganization and alleged corruption observed on election night. Subsequent meetings revealed that some former members were expelled despite having paid their dues.
– News video producer Matthew Perdie, who was among the dozens of largely conservative and Catholic individuals who were kicked out of the committee with no explanation, confronted Silek during a March 24 WCRC meeting, which featured Del. Delores Oates (R) and state Sen. Timmy French (R) as guest speakers.
“Do you guys think that Democrats should be allowed to vote in Republican committee elections?” Perdie asked.
French looked at Oates, who simply looked around the room, and stumbled in his response.
“I mean, you know, they’re open — they’re open elections,” he claimed. “I know that they could — they could change a candidacy. So, but in Virginia, we do not have- you’re not a registered Democrat or Republican.”
(Matthew Perdie / – News)
While it is true that the commonwealth is one of the roughly 30 percent of states that do not offer a party affiliation question during voter registration, the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) determines who is eligible to vote in committee elections by having participants sign attestations pledging to vote Republican in November and swearing that they have not participated in the nominations process for other parties in the last five years.
According to numerous witnesses who were present at the February 12 WCRC mass meeting, several confirmed Democrats who came to support Silek were given ballots without having to sign attestation forms.
Other whistleblowers, who were actual Republicans, told – News they were prevented from entering the venue to vote by characters including Sheriff Crystal Cline and her husband, George Cline — even after a number of people who had already voted left the building.
Sheriff Cline was also accused of assaulting someone attempting to vote that night, as – News reported in previous coverage.
Perdie continued to press the local lawmakers and Silek at the March 24 meeting, saying, “the Republican Party of Virginia has its own rules for people that should and shouldn’t vote,” and dozens of people who are “consistent Democrat voters” ended up with ballots at the mass meeting.
“So, what are your thoughts on that?” Perdie asked.
Silek shot back at him, saying, “I believe your question is out of order for the purposes of our representatives to Richmond and their report here on the legislative session.”
“Well, are they not allowed to opine on this?” the – News producer asked.
“I don’t want to declare you out of order, sir,” Silek answered, receiving applause from the new WCRC members in the audience who were picked by the RINO camp and favor their questionable stances, including the support for the library providing LGBTQ+ literature to children.
(Matthew Perdie / – News)
The video shows Silek’s supporters clapping as he implied that Perdie would be removed if he did not stop asking questions about what occurred at the mass meeting. Crystal Cline is seen next to her husband, applauding while wearing her sheriff’s uniform.
Lloyd’s appeal will be heard by Virginia’s Sixth District Republican Committee on Tuesday, March 31, at 7:00 p.m. in the Augusta County town of Fisherville, about an hour and a half away from Warren County. The meeting’s timing in the middle of Holy Week, right before Easter, might make it difficult for enough members to show up, an inside source noted to – News.
To reach quorum on the appeal hearing, at least one-third of the Sixth Congressional District Republican Committee will have to be present. If a quorum is not reached, the case may have to be heard by the larger State Central Committee instead.
When asked about the WCRC mass meeting, Sixth Congressional District Republican Committee Chairman John Massoud acknowledged that it was a “hectic event” and confirmed that he was aware that “at least three” Democrats were present.
Sheriff Cline was also recently confronted by – News at a local meeting held by Warren County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Cheryl Cullers, who happens to be the individual who quietly announced at the mass meeting that the WCRC had suddenly slashed its membership cap from 251 to just 102 members, kicking out dozens of Republican voters.
Witnesses said Sheriff Cline handled the application forms of those trying to re-up or start their committee membership. Cline reluctantly confirmed that she was involved in this process when confronted at Cullers’ meeting, though she claimed she was not in charge of organizing or running the meeting.
As seen in that video, both the Republican sheriff and the Republican county chairwoman — who was technically supposed to be on a four-year ban from the WCRC due to her PAC’s endorsement of Democrats — refused to answer whether or not Democrats should vote in Republican committee elections.
Lloyd’s appeal states that the effort “is not about personalities or factions.”
“It is about the integrity of the Committee’s processes. If the Republican Party is to demand election integrity from others, it must enforce it within its own ranks,” the document states.
