GOP Leadership Strong-Arm Tactics Cause Two Anti-Endorsement Republicans To Be Ejected From The State Committee Meeting at the Hershey Lodge on January 27, 2012.

Setting the Record Straight

My name is William Taylor Reil.  As many of you know, I, though not an attorney, have been studying constitutional law and history in Pennsylvania for over 21 years and have been very active in trying to help return our State and Country to their constitutional founding moral and lawful principles through litigation, the education of others, writings and lawful activism.  For many years I have openly opposed the endorsement of Primary Election candidates in the Republican Party.  This year is yet another time to try to end this totally prejudicial and clearly unfair action by the GOP.

I, like several others, was asked to go to the Hershey Lodge on January 27, 2012 and to help in the sincere effort to convince the Pennsylvania GOP State Committee Leadership and the other State Committee members to not make endorsements for  the 2012 Republican candidates in this year’s Primary Election.  As a seriously concerned Pennsylvania Citizen and a register Republican, I went to Hershey to do my part in this important effort.  Arriving at approximately 3:30 pm, I entered the Hershey Lodge through the “Registration Desk” entrance.  Phil Duffy, from the West Chester Tea Party, a fellow constitutional scholar and a good friend, met me in the lobby and we went together to find Ana Puig, the co-leader of the Kitchen Table Patriots, who had helped organize the “Open Primary” efforts for the day.  She had a personal letter addressed to Chairman Gleason and several hundred copies of the letter that had been posted on the internet website: http://dearmrgleason.com/ for Pennsylvania Citizens to consider and to sign a Petition as a vote for an “Open Primary” this year.

After finding Chairman Gleason, Ana gave him the two letters.  We then went to the meeting room in which the GOP State Committee Leadership members were scheduled to meet at 4:30 pm.  We placed a copy of the “dearmrgleason.com” letter on the podium and on top of the binders for each member.  We then left the room.  Phil Duffy and I, as asked to do so by Ana, quietly waited outside in the wide hallway across from the entrance to the meeting room in order to hand out additional copies of the letter.

A few minutes later three GOP staff personnel, one man and two women, went into the meeting room. I later learned that the man is Ben Wren, the Western Regional Director of PAGOP Constituent Specialist.  Apparently after seeing and reading the letter, Mr. Wren gathered up all of the letters and through them in the trash container located near the door.  Rather than exercising the proper courtesy to ask us to please not handout copies of the letter, Mr. Wren angrily strutted back and forth in the room near the door after apparently calling the Hershey Lodger Safety and Security Office.

When two Hershey Lodge security personnel, who I later learned to be Steve J. Kristovensky and Steve Heitz (Director and Assistant Director of Hotel Safety and Security, respectively) arrived, Mr. Kristovensky spoke with Phil Duffy about handing out the letter.  After Mr. Kristovensky confirmed his identity with an ID Card and a Badge, we agreed to stop handing out the letter and put them away.  During this time, Mr. Wren was leaning against the door jam with his arms crossed smugly grinning. We then started to walk down the crowded hall while talking with other Republicans who were leaving a meeting in a nearby room.  One of those State Committee members who spoke with me was Scott Burkholder, a leader of the York 912 Patriots who I have know for several years.  As Scott and I were talking, Mr. Kristovensky interrupted us and said to me: “I have told you once, now come with me.”

Phil and I went peacefully with the two “Steve” security agents.  Scott Burkholder joined us.  As we walked up the stairs and through the area where the candidate’s campaign tables were located, I asked Mr. Kristovensky what we had done wrong.  Initially he said that we had been “soliciting”; to which I responded we weren’t soliciting, but rather Petitioning those in government for Redress of Grievances.  Mr. Kristovernsky said that the reason he was called was because we were “creating a disturbance”. Of course we had done no such thing.  Apparently, Ben Wren had intentionally lied to get his and the GOP Leadership’s way to shut down any effort to have an “Open Primary” election. Mr. Kristovensky then said that we could not “distribute” anything according to the “sign” posted at each entrance to the Hotel.  I said: “What sign? I didn’t see any such sign.”  As we approached the “main entrance to the Convention Center, I continue my objections to the way we were being treated and asked to speak with the Manager of the Hotel.  As Mr. Kristovensky made a call allegedly to the Hotel Manager, I checked out the “sign”.  Yes, there was a small sign on a fixed glass panel located to the far right as one enters the broad sliding doors. This sign is approximately 12” X  10” in size.  It has a clear plastic background with the message stated in black letters.  Frankly, if you didn’t know the “sign” was on the glass panel, you would not see it.  I certainly did not see the identical “sign” stuck to the fixed glass panel located to the far left of the siding and fixed doors at the “Registration Desk” entrance through which I had entered the Hershey Lodge earlier that afternoon.  This obscurely posted “sign” states:

NON-EMPLOYEE

SOLICITATION and

                                                           DISTRIBUTION IS

STRICTLY PROHIBITED

Phil Duffy and I continued to state the fact that “we had immediately agreed to not handout the letters” when Mr. Kristovensky had asked us to do so, and to ask:  “Why are we being told to leave the Hotel”.  Scott Burkholder, typical of his strong character and belief in honesty and lawful actions, repeatedly attempted to bring about logical  and proper action by the Hotel agents.  No matter what was said, Mr. Kristovensky continued to insist that Phil and I leave the Hershey Lodge immediately.  The Manager of the Hotel never appeared.

Finally, Mr. Kristovensky said that if we did not leave, he would call the police and have us arrested, which he promptly started to do.  At that point, Phil Duffy and I left the Hershey Lodge.  I then took a few minutes to take pictures of the obscure clear plastic “sign”, the prominently displayed “No Smoking” plaques, and the entrance though with I had entered the Hershey Lodge earlier that afternoon.

Clearly, the real reason we were ejected from the Hershey Lodge on January 27, 2012, is because we, and many other Republicans, wanted to Petition the GOP State Committee members for our Regress of Grievances concerning the, at a minimum, immoral and unfair practice of endorsing Republican in the “Primary Elections” in Pennsylvania; particularly, in this year’s large field of qualified candidates for the United States Senate.  It is just simply wrong to use Republican funds and the “Party Machine” against fellow Republicans in a “Primary Election”!  We the People have a fundamental right to vote for the candidate of our choice without GOP limiting prejudicial actions.

Unfortunately, the GOP “Machine” and Governor Tom Corbett’s strong-arm tactics lead a majority of the State Committee members to endorse Governor Corbett’s  chosen candidates this year; particularly his favored United States Senator candidate.

The Dear Mr. Gleason Letter

Dear Chairman Gleason,

This letter is a formal request that the Pennsylvania 
State Committee NOT endorse in the United States
 Senate race. A formal endorsement is counter-
productive to defeating Sen. Casey and winning
 Pennsylvania for our eventual Republican nominee.

Historically, after making a formal endorsement, Party leadership does the following:

1. Says that only candidates endorsed by the PA GOP should be recognized and/or allowed to speak at official events such as county dinners, endorsement meetings, candidate forums, etc. Endorsed candidates and staff should be able to attend gatherings as complimentary guests.

2. County Chairs, county party staff, and county party members should NOT be circulating petitions for statewide candidates who have NOT been endorsed by the PA GOP.

3. County Chairs, county party staff and county party members should only be distributing materials for candidates that have been endorsed by the PA GOP.

4. County Chairs should decline any promotion materials from non-endorsed candidates.

These kinds of pressure tactics only serve to alienate the members of the Tea Party, sow division within our ranks, and make it harder to ultimately elect a Republican U.S. Senator.

The Pennsylvania Republican Party has nothing to fear from having a fair, unbiased Primary. It will help build our Party, and grow our organization. As Party Chairman, I respectfully ask that you keep this primary as transparent and fair as possible, and let 3.2 million Republican primary voters decide whom their nominee should be.

Thank you for your consideration.

Source: http://dearmrgleason.com/

Press Reports http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/01/gov_corbett_takes_risks_with_g.htmlon the Aftermath and synopsis