SOUTH COUNTY REPUBLICAN CLUB HOLDS ITS INAUGURAL MEETING IN BUCHANAN

By DEBRA HAIGHT

BUCHANAN – The 2020 presidential election is still on many people’s minds if a Sunday afternoon meeting in downtown Buchanan is any indication. 100 area residents gathered at Lehman’s Orchard Brewery & Farmhouse for the inaugural meeting of the South County Republican Club.

The South County Republican Club is a new chapter of the Republican Women’s Federation of Michigan, organizer and Buchanan resident Carla Johnson said. The club’s regular meeting schedule will be the first Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. at Heritage Hall in Three Oaks. Johnson said men can also join the club as associate members.

The theme of Sunday’s program was “The 2020 Election: A Loss of Public Trust and What To Do About It.” Speakers included Republican gubernatorial candidates Tudor Dixon and Ryan Kelley, Sixth District Congressional candidate Ezra Scott of New Buffalo and Michigan GOP Co-Chair Meshawn Maddock.

In addition, State Representatives Steve Carra of Three Rivers and Brad Paquette of Niles took part in a panel discussion with Cass County Republican Party fraud subcommittee chairman JD Glaser and opinion writer and lobbyist Taras Lyssenko.

Two other Sixth District Congressional candidates also took part in the program, Jon Rocha of Kalamazoo and Jerry Solis of Three Rivers. Current Sixth District Congressman Fred Upton has not announced yet whether he plans to run for re-election.

Election fraud was the main topic of discussion Sunday with speakers talking about both what if anything can be done about the irregularities of the 2020 election and what safeguards can be put in place to protect future elections.

Glaser is an IT and software specialist. He said that there’s credible evidence of election fraud in Michigan in the 2020 November election that state officials should look into. “If people cared about the vote the way that banks care about money, we wouldn’t be in this situation,” he said. “Introducing new legislation is not the same as upholding the law.”

Carra, a first term state representative, reported that he’s introduced legislation calling for a forensic audit of the 2020 election results. “I think the Secretary of State created a system ripe for fraud with sending out mailing out unsolicited absentee ballot applications to everyone,” he said. “I’m convinced we will find fraud if we do a forensic audit.”

Paquette, a second term state representative, said he was one of 17 representatives who joined in with the Texas lawsuit that went to the U.S. Supreme Court where it wasn’t heard. “I still have people calling me a traitor to democracy,” he said. “It’s a really difficult situation to be in, a lot of people in our Republican caucus are not in favor of an audit.”

Lyssenko said the Republican Party needs better messaging. While a recently released report from a Michigan Senate committee stated they found no evidence of “widespread fraud”, most people hear that there was “no evidence of fraud.” “We should be spending our time showing people that it was either incompetence or fraud,” he said.

Carra and Paquette had different views about a possible forensic audit of the 2020 election in Michigan. Paquette said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer would veto such a bill even if it did pass. Carra took the view that the legislature should pass a bill for a forensic audit and force Whitmer to veto it.

Glaser noted that the Michigan constitution allows for petition drives by citizens and that people should start using that power to act on important issues such as election fraud. “Under English law, winners have to prove they won when the chains of custody (of ballots) is broken,” he said. “The law is on our side, but people are not acting on it.”

Retired Berrien County Commissioner Don Ryman of Buchanan summed up what many in the audience were feeling. “If there was no crime committed, why not humor us and let us have an audit?” he asked.

For Scott and the two gubernatorial candidates, election fraud was just one of the issues they pressed during their presentations.

Scott, currently the vice-chairman of the Berrien County Board of Commissioners, spoke about his frustrations with the federal government and Congress’ abdication of their power and responsibilities to unelected bureaucrats. Issues important to him include eliminating “pork barrel” spending and passing laws that will help people.

He did not mention Upton by name but said he took responsibility for voting for Upton 14 times. “I don’t mention our congressman, I don’t feel he deserves to have his name in my campaign,” he said. “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

Dixon and Kelley both spoke out against Whitmer’s policy decisions, especially what they see as her overreach of power during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dixon is a Norton Shores resident, mother of four, cancer survivor and television news host. Kelley is an Ottawa County real estate agent.

Dixon called herself a “conservative outsider running for governor”, a hard worker and someone with team building experience. Kelley said he would reform the Michigan Public Health Code so unelected bureaucrats have “authoritarian rule” over state residents. He also spoke in favor of medical freedom, against vaccine passports and for election integrity.

They are among several people who have announced plans to run for the Republican nomination for governor. Others include Garrett Soldano, a chiropractor who protested Whitmer’s stay home orders, Ralph Rebandt, an Oakland County pastor, Bob Scott, a Livingston County evangelist and Austin Chenge, a Grand Rapids entrepreneur. Retiring Detroit Police Chief James Craig has also said he’s considering a run.

Johnson announced that election fraud will also be the subject of the club’s August meeting. Speakers then will include former state senator Patrick Colbeck and attorney Matthew DePerno who uncovered alleged election problems in Antrim County.

The July 7 meeting in Three Oaks will feature Republican Women’s Federation of Michigan President Robyn Peake and Vice-President Cindy Holland installing Johnson and the other officers. Johnson is president, Kelly Hill of Three Oaks the vice-president, Mary Macigewski of Buchanan the secretary and Linda VanderVeen of St. Joseph the treasurer.

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