Maricopa County Republicans still, yet or again planning to censure "turncoats?"

Last month, Phoenix New Times readers heard that the Maricopa County Republican Committee was planning to punish Republican precinct committee members who dared to support and/or endorse Democratic candidates.

This was the brainchild of Angelo J LaFaro, known to most as "AJ."

Photo courtesy Phoenix New Times

Arizona Eagletarian readers first encountered our dear friend AJ in October 2011.

On the subject of Republicans efforts to undermine the AIRC, recently elected LD17 (Tempe/S. Scottsdale) GOP chair A.J. LaFaro spoke at last night's hearing in Chandler. He read a resolution he said had been unanimously approved by members of his group. The statement was so outrageous, I had to ask him for a copy. He sent me the resolution and a cover letter he sent with the resolution to people at the state Capitol.

Though at the time there were other Republicans echoing LaFaro's manufactured outrage, expressing it as he did, in writing, appeared legitimate. Looking back, this might be the only documentation available to show how Gov. Brewer was goaded into making herself and Arizona (once again) the laughingstock of America when she attempted to fire the IRC chair, Colleen Coyle Mathis.

Back to 2014, LaFaro's effort to censure the Republican PCs who defied their Party was tabled last month. Today, a source sent me a copy of the agenda for the December meeting of the Maricopa County Republican Committee executive guidance committee and a draft resolution. The meeting is scheduled for December 4th.

This language, an excerpt from the resolution, is particularly troubling,

Whereas, the individuals listed on Page 2 of this Resolution to Censure may have provided material support to those candidates opposing the nominees of the Republican Party in the 2014 Arizona General Election; [...]

That the Executive Guidance Committee of the Maricopa County Republican Committee hereby censures and sternly reprimands the individuals listed on Page 2 of this Resolution to Censure; and 

That the individuals listed on Page 2 of this Resolution to Censure shall have no access to Republican Party data or other Republican Party resources throughout the remainder of their term of office.

LaFaro's Republican committee apparently wants to punish these PCs even though they only suspect them (but do not necessarily have proof) of providing material support to non-GOP candidates.

The document forwarded to me did not include the Page 2 list of suspected offenders. But one of the people apparently on LaFaro's fecal roster last month, Barbara Espinosa, today blogged about this latest development.

The dirty dozen or at least a portion of them may have a surprise for MCRC. I can see a class action lawsuit in the making if MCRC continues down a path that's illegal.

A.J. and the Republicans are telling elected PC'S they have to support a Republican candidate regardless of their background, qualification or they shall have no access to Republican Party data or other Republican Party resources throughout the remainder of their term of office. If you have a Republican drug cartel member and a Democrat minister, by damn the Republicans are telling you to support drug cartel member. How they plan to keep a Republican from having access to information is incomprehensible. In light of the fact that A.J. admitted he was concerned about being sued. If Senator McCain can stand to be censured, so can I and will consider the source.

Of course, sometimes Democrats support Republican candidates too. In September and October this year, state Reps. Catherine Miranda and Lydia Hernandez (Lydia is a PC, Catherine isn't). As far as I know, there is no action planned to censure Ms. Hernandez by the Maricopa County Democratic Party. She becomes a veritable "has been" about six weeks from now when her term in the Arizona House expires. She lost a primary election for a state senate seat this year.

Miranda faces the possibility of a recall election, but her transgressions go well beyond endorsing Scrooge McDucey and Michele Reagan.

Then there's Rodney Glassman. He apparently IS a Democratic precinct committeeman. He also is apparently friends with Republican LD18 Sen.-elect Jeff Dial, who defeated Democrat Janie Hydrick. Glassman's wife Sasha contributed $500.00 to Dial's successful campaign, as did his mother Linda Glassman. Overall, the Glassman family also contributed $10,000.00 to Scott Smith's quixotic campaign to win the GOP gubernatorial primary. Oh, they also contributed exactly ZERO dollars to Fred DuVal's campaign.

Some of my Democratic friends suggested to me last month that censuring or banishing Democratic PCs who support(ed) Republicans is an appropriate and legitimate action to take.

Nevertheless, Glassman wasn't censured for his Republican advocacy.