America First Versus Republican Establishment; the Official Grudge Match is ON!

Welcome to December, the month of the local GOP Chair and Board Elections

In a recent article in the Washington Post, we learned U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy used FTX funds to sway the 2022 GOP primaries. Ivan Raiklin explains how the FTX money worked: Money was “sent to Ukraine so that it could launder and return it via FTX investments that the executives would then transmit to campaign and PAC contributions to [McCarthy’s] Congressional Leadership Fund PAC that in turn used these funds to take out American Patriots in their primary elections to include:

• Joe Kent in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District

• Laura Loomer in Florida’s 11th Congressional District

• Jarome Bell in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District

• Anthony Sabatini in Florida’s 7th Congressional District

Behind the scenes politicking is one reason we didn’t see the huge “red wave” everyone expected. This “insider” control mechanism is par for the course for the swamp in D.C., but it can be seen at the state level.  Leaders within the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) are exerting influence and control not just over our primary candidates, but also over the Chair positions of our County Republican Executive Committees (RECs). 

But here’s the good news: Florida Republicans are waking up. 

Like early Christmas presents, America First candidates around the state have been prevailing in the votes for REC Chair and Board positions, with only a few exceptions. 

It looks like Florida Republicans are figuring out that the Florida Republican Establishment (ie: the Swamp) HAS. GOT. TO. GO. 

Let’s take a look. 

First, let’s talk about the exception. 

Sarasota County tops our list because FNR received information from two REC members that there were eight more ballots than REC members in attendance. 

Record scratch. 

Eight more ballots than members in attendance - yep, that’s what they said! The America First Chair candidate, Conni Brunni, was defeated by 33 votes and at least eight of those votes appear to be election interference. 

Republican Party of Florida Chairman Joe Gruters was in attendance. 

Don’t forget that after the 2020 Election, when the RNC was raising $200 million dollars from us to “fight for election integrity,” Gruters was appointed Chair for the RNC Election Integrity Committee, a national position.  

Despite his connection to election integrity, Gruters did not call for a second vote to eliminate those “alleged” pesky eight extra ballots. RPOF Vice Chair, Christian Ziegler, was ALSO in attendance, and did nothing to address the eight ballots. 

Zielger wants to be the  next RPOF Chairman. He won’t even stand up within his own home county. 

But where there wasn’t election interference, America First REC candidates won and they won big! 

Miami-Dade flipped to AF leadership (will wonders never cease!), as did battle-weary Seminole County! 

Seminole AF members had  been raging for two years against the Republican Establishment REC leadership. Who could forget the video of their recent October meeting hosted by Joe Gruters after their SCREC CHAIRMAN WENT TO JAIL for election interference, and Ol’ Joe advised they could not have a November meeting because …. there was no venue available. One member shot back, “WE CAN MEET IN A PARK! BUT WE HAVE TO MEET!!” 

In Alachua County, home of Mr. William Stafford Jones, AF candidates took over the AREC… FINALLY. If you want to read some interesting material about “Florida Dark Money” and Stafford Jones, read this  Article

FNR received a forwarded email from Mr. Jones, Alachua State Committeeman, defending the Democrat Alachua Supervisor of Elections, for taking over $708,000 from Mark Zuckerberg (Zuckbucks) in the 2020 Presidential Election for “safe voting.” Interestingly enough, the Alachua SOE didn’t spend the grant money during 2020 to improve the safety of voting. By August 2021, Alachua SOE still had $204,000 in the bank. Read Article Here

Charlotte County America First candidates took control after two years pushing back against the Republican Establishment hurting the GOP brand. Ousted Chairman, Gene Murtha, who had little knowledge about limited government and states’ rights, was long overdue to be put out to pasture.

In Collier County, one of our favorite Republicans in the State of Florida, Alfie Oakes, took the wheel and ran a slate of America First candidates for the seats in the Collier REC with Nick Lichter winning Chair. AF Republicans within the CREC had ongoing skirmishes with the Republican Establishment for over two years resulting in rounds of restraining orders filed in a contentious war, calling law enforcement into the fray. AF Republicans within that REC never gave up one inch in their fight for control, driving the Collier REC back to the Republican Party Platform when they won. 

In Lee County, America First Republicans had been pushed to the brink during the August Republican Primary with dirty tactics by the Republican Establishment and the AF group had apparently had enough. They organized in a relatively short amount of time with their plan to take control during the election, December 10th. The Establishment wasn’t going down without a fight resulting in three, THREE VOTES because the first two votes were a tie! Finally, someone with good sense came over to the AF Republican side and the Republican Establishment was defeated by ONE VOTE. Don’t Quit! Let Lee County be your “Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!” chant! 

In Hillsborough County, we are happy / relieved to say the America First candidates prevailed after months and months of shouting matches, wagging fingers in faces and general bad behavior on the part of the Republican Establishment, headed by  political consultant, April Schiff, also State Committeewoman. The vote count? Wasn’t even close. 

What’s happening in all these counties is what we’ve all been fighting for during the past two years: We want Republicans who support THE REPUBLICAN PARTY PLATFORM, which is fully supported by America First Republicans, the REAL Republicans.  

Where do we go from here?

One interesting county to watch is Manatee, where the current Establishment Republican Chairman, Steve Vernon, is actually the former head of the Tea Party, but who has since shifted to the mediocre middle where RPOF Joe Gruters wanted him to be. You already know about Joe Gruters: (link) (link)

Mr. Vernon doesn’t hold back at all giving his opinion about the America First movement or the Republicans who support it. The trouble is, his opinion isn’t consistent. Like most politicians, he changes his rhetoric depending on his audience. 

Take for example, this Facebook post where he “likes” (agrees with) the notion that these rabble rousing AF Republicans are “Democrats.” 

Now juxtapose this up against his public statements in a liberal rag opposing America First as “too far right,” a comment, by the way, that places Vernon in the camp opposing proven liberty lovers, such as General Mike Flynn, Former Florida House Representative Anthony Sabatini, and conservative author Cathi Chamberlain who wrote a book titled, “Rules for Deplorables: A Primer for Fighting Radical Socialism. We would like to suggest Cathi write her next book, “Rules for America First Republicans: A Primer for Fighting the Republican Establishment.” We can guarantee wide Florida interest and readership.  

We’ve received a lot of reports about what’s happened in Manatee County during Vernon’s tenure:

• Endorsing the verbiage of the J6 Committee to slander fellow Republicans as “Insurrectionists”

• Harassing fellow Republicans who tried to pass out hurricane preparedness guides  (right before Hurricane Ian hit)

• Refusal to allow motions on the floor without a 15-day personal approval from Vernon

• Intel of an ad-hoc committee forming where new members have to be personally endorsed by Vernon and his posse

In general, the Manatee REC has all the markings of  a rule by fiat–despite Vernon’s pitstop as a Tea Party Leader. Maybe the Tea Party position didn’t give him enough political clout so he’s trying his hand at Republican Establishment Politics which are clearly not popular in Florida any longer and don’t appear to be making a comeback any time soon.  

In Manatee County at least, Republicans have the benefit of getting a peek into the true belief of their current Chairman, Steve Vernon. 

“Vernon said those challenging him are ‘so far right’  they're ‘off the planet’ . . . Vernon said he blames Bannon, a former Trump adviser, for all the pressure on county GOP leaders from the right. Bannon, who was sentenced last year to four months in prison after being found guilty of contempt of Congress, uses his "War Room" program to promote a takeover of the GOP at the local level and build from there, until the party has been transformed statewide and nationally.

Cathi Chamberlain, who served as campaign manager for Jeremy Brown who ran for Florida House District 62 from jail. Brown, a former Green Beret, is from Hillsborough County and has been incarcerated in the Pinellas County jail (Pinellas County jail is a designated jail for federally charged inmates) for attending the January 6 rally. Chamberlain threw her hat in the race for Pinellas County REC Chair just weeks ago to replace the current Never Trump leadership. In the Pinellas REC office, the Chairman, Todd Jennings, refused to hang a photo of President Trump the entire four years Trump occupied the White House.

Chamberlain summarizes the current political plight:

“The Republican Party, there’s no question about it, it is split in half right now," Chamberlain said. "And the Establishment rules currently and the America Firsters ... are fighting to regain the values our party stands for.” 

Yes. Yes we are. We see that we have been infiltrated within our Party by people who don’t represent Republican voters or the Party Platform. America First Republicans will never compromise with the Republican Establishment because that would mean we gave up to the infiltrators who have no business being in our Party. 

 Right now it’s time to advance America First and take the hill.

This month, make sure you know who is on the ticket at your local REC and vote for the America First Republican candidates and kick out the Establishment Republicans who have been operating in our Party like they’re running their own personal business. 

Then let’s get to work saving the Republic.