From Cecil Times —-
Our ongoing local political soap opera, centered on the crowded field of warring factions seeking seats on the Cecil County Republican Central Committee, may have many observers wondering what all the fuss is about. But when you drill deeply into state campaign finance reports, it becomes clear that the fuss is about more than ideology, alliances, and political control. It’s also about money and who gets to decide how, and to whom, to dole out Republican campaign funds.
At stake in the Sept. 14 Republican primary is not just which faction gets control of the party’s official arm in Cecil County, the nine-seat Central Committee, but who will control the Committee’s bank account. In the most recent filings with the State Board of Elections, the county’s GOP Central Committee had $17,715 cash in the bank, which the committee can contribute to local Republican candidates for their campaigns, as well as fund-raise on behalf of GOP candidates.
Someone Noticed 
This is just more of Cecil Tiimes (Nancy Schwerzler) attacking anyone who is not a patriarch of the old-time Republican Club. The dollars moved around amount to less than family dinner out at the Howard House. Why is it surprising that the ROC PAC gave money to an active particpant on the local political scene? Nancy also makes it appear dubious because the reporting requirements of a PAC are different than those of a candidate. That is a matter of federal law. This is yellow journalism at its worst, particularly because Nancy is using it for personal vendettas. We get it, Nancy. You don’t like Mike Smigiel, and you are willing to attack anyone who so much as speaks to him. The article atttempts to make it appear that monies were misappropriated, yet nothing indicates these donations were some unilateral decision of a single officer. Also, logically, a candidate for state delegate received more money than those running for local offices, as that campaign covers a larger area and thus, should cost more. Cecil Times wasn’t crying foul in past elections when the money was going to her comrades in the old Republican Club.
P#7 is upset over a dry report of money transfers ? Family dinner at Howard House ? Must be a large family. Yellow journalism ? Send her to the Delegate Mike (Smigiel) Journalism 101 class. Methinks thou dost protest too much !
P7,
You obfuscate again. The political Clubs are at issue. The Women’s Club has not given money in the past to one Republican over another Republican in a contested primary. But this year, with Boss Man’s pals in charge, money from that club was shuffled to ROC and re-distributed to the Boss Man’s annointed candidates in contested primaries.
Maryland elections law has a gaping loophole of financial reporting of the Clubs. The PACs are different and last time I looked the Federal Elections Commission only set rules for PACs in federal campaigns. Maryland law regulates state-registered PACs, which is what ROC PAC is.
Maybe P7 needs to take a legal refresher course.
Louise, your frustration is still misplaced. Your issue is then with the Maryland Assembly, not those who dutifully follow the law & regulations set forth. The truth is that you just don’t like the fact that your cronies no longer have a stranglehold on the various organizations in the area.
P7, did you gag on that phrase, “those who dutifully follow the law and regulations set forth?” Your “muse,” Smigiel, has repeatedly not followed the election law that sets filing deadlines for finance reports and has had to pay fines for the violations, then finally filing many months or even over a year late.
My only “cronies” are women who supported the Women’s Club for years, with its adherence to the Party’s principle that club funds not be used to intervene in a contested primary. When manipulations to circumvent those principles are made, it is an appropriate matter of concern and comment.
For those readers not familiar with campaign reports, you should know that it is quite common for politicians to file their reports late, and the fines associated with it are about the moral equivalent of a parking ticket. This is just more yellow journalism from Nancy Schwerzler.
Did I miss something? When did a violent revolution take over the Republican Women’s Club? If you disagree with something that is being done in your club, then present your arguments at the meetings and straighten it out within the club or refer the matter to its higher authority — or maybe you are just disgruntled that the landscape of the R.W.C. is changing. That’s the nature of human interaction, you can’t always have things your way. Check your organization’s bylaws; if something is amiss, then follow proper channels.
I, myself, am happy to welcome energetic young people into my organization, foster the exchange of new ideas, and offer guidance by way of past experiences. In my case, the people who came behind me made vast improvements with completely different projects. Passing on the mantle of leadership need not become a tug-of-war. If you have served well, then you will enjoy a position as a mentor and trusted advisor.
Bob, you did indeed miss “something”.
No violent revolution – just a concerted takeover of the CCRWC last December, so that Carrie Taylor (now CC Treasurer candidate and “endorsed” candidate of EJ Pipkin) now serves as President. (for affirmation, check how many “new members” – paid for by Alissa Pipkin – joined that night for voting priviledges at the CCRCW annual meeting. )
New ideas and energy should always be welcome. But Bob, that’s what this is NOT about. This one smells to high heaven. Requests for CCRWC treasurer reports and minutes and are not responded to by the CCRWC President, Carrie Taylor. If there’s nothing to hide – why not respond?
Ask Carrie about the Cecil County Republican Women candidate “invite” list to the June “Meet the Candidates”, where only her “preferred” candidates received invitations to attend.
This is not about transferring the “mantle of leadership”…this is about those who deserve that mantle. Carrie Taylor does not meet that standard.
As I recall The Christmas Massacre meeting included a sham election. Andi Marony (Smigiel employee) took over the meeting illegally under the authority of the MFRW, declared a candidate unqualified (illegally) and threw the election to the Smipkin slate. New members (Smigiel loyalists) bought and paid for by Alisa voted in the Smipkin slate. The next meeting was held at the Lord and Lady Pipkin estate. Not a good way to heal wounds and unite with the former board.
My Dear P7, Smigiel Apologist, Mike Smigiel:
If I understand you correctly, you are saying it is OK for Delegate Mike Smigiel, Rep.-36th, to disobey election laws because it is “quite common for politicians” to disobey the law and, hey, the punishment is not a whole lot of money.
That is really inspiring, when I tell my kids to obey the rules and be honest. Your response sounds like what a 12-year-old would say. (“But Mom, everyone else is doing it!”)
We’re not talking about a day or two delay by the post office in filing legally required reports. How about a year and a half of disobeying the election laws?
You still haven’t had the guts to address why you think it is just fine to ride rough-shot over the Republican Women’s Club– which has a long history of honest, dedicated service to Cecil County and the elected Central Committee– to divert the money, that these dedicated women have raised, to your pals in contested primaries.
That is a basic violation of all that our dedicated Republican women have stood for in this county for many years. (Oh, yes, the big boys have the right to dictate to the women on what should be done with the money the women have raised by their own hard work.)
By the way, my name is Louise.
Bob, members of the club have ask for minutes, treasure reports, by laws, and bank statements. Carrie has not responded at all to the members that ask. When ask about where the money has went and when it was approved all ignored. Sounds like a swindle job to me, less then honest. Not the kind of treasure i would want, someone that wants to hide the books.
Digones, if you have nothing better to do than in your partisan hacks against Smigel and Pipkin then you might as well come out and admit it. Because the Cecil Times tries to pride itself on as an independent site which the Whig isnt, but is even worse than the Whig in its biased. The site is nothing more than a personal attack machine against Smigel/Pipkin.
Seems to me the old guard in this county are scared out of their wits people Digones(if that is your real name even and not hiding behind a pen name), Tina Sharp, Louise, and Lady Na Na. At least Ms.Sharp is honest enough to use her real name unlike many others here, but I still disagree with her too(which is why I voted for Bill Brueckman in 2006).
I will vote on who I think is the better candidates, since I am a conservative that will be mostly them. But Wayne Tome, hopefully Skip DeWitt(though I will vote for Sutton with less enthuasism), and Bill Breuckman since they are the best men for their position. So, I dont even want to hear one called me a partisan hack or Patriots to call me a conservative sellout. I was fighting for conservative values and doing more to get people elected before they existed.
So I am to believe that an improper election was held , and in 9 months nothing has been done to rectify the situation, other than vent on Mike Dixon’s blog? Is there no state or national organization to appeal to? The Women’s Club has far too many intelligent and capable members for me to believe that you are sitting around wallowing in self-pity.
If money has been misappropriated, that is a crime that can be taken care of by local authorities even without the support of the organization at any level. I know from personal experience. In ’05 I helped put a fellow member of my club in prison while the state deputy daudled. Playing on feminist themes and claiming that “men” have taken the Republican Women’s hard-earned money is a distraction.
Bob a letter was sent to Ruth Umbel, nothing was done. You are correct. Members have ask for minutes, bylaws, treasure reports and budgets, NOTHING. Yes i do believe that the law will be involved very soon. We all have very busy lives this is a total back burner issue. You are correct there are alot of things to be looked at and they will be with a lawyer.