FreedomWorks Signs a Coalition Letter Urging the RNC to Reverse its Rules Power Grab

Washington, DC- FreedomWorks President and CEO Matt Kibbe signed onto a coalition letter to the RNC this week, urging Chair Reince Priebus to reverse rules changes by the national party at last year’s convention in Tampa that shifted power from the state parties and the grassroots to the RNC.

Kibbe commented, “The future of the Republican Party depends on its willingness to embrace the new decentralized nature of political organizing. We played by the rules, and as a result, power brokers changed the rules to shut us out. A reversal of last year’s convention power-grab would be a strong step towards mending the relationship between the Party and the grassroots activists they disenfranchised in 2012.”

On Friday, August 24th, 2012 at a meeting the Convention Rules Committee, longtime GOP lawyer and Romney advisor Ben Ginsberg proposed rules changes that were almost certainly intended to consolidate control of the Party and marginalize the influence of state parties and grassroots delegates. Delegates took the fight to the full Convention floor, arguably winning the voice vote to stop the rules. Shockingly, the adoption of the rules was planned and already written on the Teleprompter, moving the changes forward regardless of the results of the voice vote.

FreedomWorks members acted early to kill the rule changes, sending out a national call to action and urging activists to lobby the party chairs and Rules Committee members from their state about the issue. Activists lit up Facebook and Twitter (using the hashtag #RNCpowergrab) and made hundreds of calls and emails to delegates.

This week’s letter, in part, reads:

“On behalf of the millions of grassroots conservatives around the country that our organizations represent, we are writing in support of the efforts of our friend and colleague Morton Blackwell, outlined in the letter he sent to you last month. Your work to turn around the RNC financial situation has been commendable. Movement conservative leaders and grassroots activists have supported much of it. We urge you not to betray that goodwill and earned respect by failing to enact the positive reforms that would undo the rules power grab done in Tampa last year.”

“Like you, we believe that the strength of the Conservative Movement and Republican Party lies in the strength of our ideas and the millions of citizens who believe in them and work tirelessly through the political process on behalf of our shared principles. Enacting rules changes that centrally consolidate power not only violates our political principles, it will alienate the very people who have been the most loyal foot soldiers in support of Republican candidates.”

FreedomWorks is a service center to a community of over 4 million grassroots activists nationwide who believe in individual liberty and constitutionally-limited government. For more information, please visit www.FreedomWorks.org or contact Jackie Bodnar at JBodnar@FreedomWorks.org.