AA GOP Central Committee: Doug Thiessen Statement

Doug Thiessen, outgoing Legal Counsel for the Anne Arundel County Republican Central Committee, sent this statement;

Brian,

It has come to my attention you have concern that the Republican State Central Committee of Anne Arundel County has been having "secret" meetings where decisions have been made about the future of the Anne Arundel Republican Party, which may violate the law or Party ethics. I write you to dispel those myths.

Recently, Chairman Michael Collins asked me whether, in my legal opinion, gatherings among Central Committee members, outside of official meetings, would violate State law. Chairman Collins shared my advice with the members of the Committee and many others outside of the Committee. As Chairman Collins noted, I opined that Committee members are free to get together to discuss issues outside of official Committee meetings, as has been the Committee's practice at political events and other social gatherings. To my knowledge, no substantive decision-making on the part of the Committee has occurred outside of official Central Committee meetings this year.

In order to accurately report and blog on Central Committee activity and participate in Party building in the future, I encourage you to attend all future scheduled Central Committee meetings, including the Committee's next regularly scheduled meeting (September 5, 2007).

Feel free to contact me with any questions, and feel free to post my response to you in an unadulterated format, as you have requested.

Douglas W. Thiessen

Legal Counsel

Republican State Central Committee of Anne Arundel County