Ohio Republican Party meeting derailed by infighting, unruly crowd, issues
Months of infighting with the Ohio Republican Party boiled over Friday as the state central committee clashed over finances and party endorsements and tried to kick unruly members of the public out of its meeting.
The committee gathered for a quarterly meeting to discuss appointments and next year's budget, among other housekeeping. It quickly devolved into arguments over issues that have plagued the party for months and ended early after chairman Bob Paduchik failed to get control of the room.
“Ohioans got us Trump, not Paduchik,” one attendee yelled before leaving.
The tension on Friday centered around two matters: primary endorsements and the party's finances.
Republicans who oppose Gov. Mike
Dewine want ORP to stay out of his reelection bid against former U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci and Canal Winchester farmer Joe Blystone. Some committee members contend ORP shouldn't provide services to non-endorsed candidates, and Dewine appointees should recuse themselves from the decision.
Critics also say the party's finances are in “total disorder” because of missing funds and a failure to adequately audit the books. Mark Bainbridge and four others filed a lawsuit earlier this week that outlined their allegations and claimed they had been removed from committees as punishment for speaking out.
Party leaders, meanwhile, have accused those members of lying and trying to bring down ORP for their own gain.
“This isn't a courtroom,” Paduchik told Bainbridge on Friday. “You're going to get your day in court.”
Many attendees were supporters of longshot U.S. Senate candidate Mark Pukita and held signs critical of Dewine and ORP endorsements. They shouted, groaned and laughed at comments throughout the meeting, prompting one member to ask for their removal because the committee was being “harassed.”
Paduchik halted the meeting and told members of the public to clear the room, which several responded to with cries of “fascism.” Officials ended the meeting early after people refused to leave.
Paduchik declined through a spokeswoman to be interviewed. The committee's next meeting is scheduled for February.
Haley Bemiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.