[LPL Board of Directors] Vote For Removal

[Wes Benedict]

I am concerned about this particular statement which I've copied below. 
It appears the Secretary claims the Vice-Chairman has already been 
suspended from office. I would like clarification. Who suspended our 
Vice-Chairman, and by what authority? I do not have a copy of Robert's 
Rules of Order. If something in Robert's Rules appears to give that 
authority, I would like to have those details presented (not charges or 
evidence, but a quotation of the text from Robert's Rules). I am not 
convinced our Vice-Chairman has already been suspended.

>          Per §61 of Robert's Rules of Order, Mr. Lewis' membership privileges
> (excepting those pertaining to these judicial proceedings), and thus his
> status as an officer of the Party, are suspended until the conclusion of the
> trial.

If something in Robert's Rules appears to give that authority, and that 
is based on Article 15: Section 1 "Disciplinary Action against any Party 
members . . . " I will next want to get confirmation that Article 15 
Section 2 "Officers and other . . ." doesn't supersede actions 
authorized by Article 15 Section 1.

Our bylaws provide a procedure for removal of an officer from office. 
I'm concerned about the immediate suspension prior to a consideration of 
removal from office.

Thanks,
--Wes Benedict



Reed Ebarb wrote, On 3/22/2013 8:48 PM:
> To all State Central Committee members,
>
>          The second quarter regular meeting of the Libertarian Party of
> Louisiana State Central Committee will be held at Lakeview Harbor, 911
> Harrison Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana at Noon on Saturday April 13th,
> 2013.
> Attendance by all Officers and Parish Representatives is required per the
> Party By-laws. A working agenda is posted online on the Party website and a
> final agenda will be issued seven days in advance of the meeting.  On this
> final agenda you will see a section for an executive session where the
> Committee will consider a disciplinary motion to remove Mr. Scott A.
> Lewis, III from his office as Vice-Chairman of the Party for the following
> charges and specifications:
>
>          Charge 1. Dereliction of Duty of the Office of Vice-chairman
>          Specification 1. Not being present for the convention at which he
> was elected, and at which he was to serve as an officer, being already duly
> elected by the previous convention.
>          Specification 2. Not being present for the first State Central
> Committee meeting, held in Alexandria, Louisiana, such attendance being
> required of his office by the By-laws, his absence preventing a quorum,
> causing members and officers to travel at great expense to themselves
> without purpose.
>          Specification 3. Not being present for a meeting of the Strategic
> Planning Committee which he chairs, after calling the meeting, and inviting
> members from other parts of the State to attend, causing them to travel at
> great expense to themselves, and instead, attempting to chair a physical
> meeting by telephone in violation of Robert's Rules of Order.
>          Specification 4. Failing to make any attempt to establish Parish
> Executive Committees for unorganized parishes as required of his office
> under the By-laws, leaving the work instead to be done at great personal
> effort and expense to the Executive Director, such work being outside the
> Director's contract, and causing considerable difficulties in negotiating
> agreeable payment terms for such contract.
>          Specification 5. In the absence of established Parish Executive
> Committees, failing to take care that the duties assigned to these
> committees are carried out in their respective parishes, either by his own
> actions, or by the appointment of a parish director, organizer, or other
> member as the By-laws require.
>
>          Charge 2. Conduct Unbecoming an Officer of the Libertarian Party of
> Louisiana.
>          Specification 1. Failing to turn in his Affidavit of Acceptance form
> for filing as a Presidential Elector.
>          Specification 2. Failing to turn in his Affidavit of Acceptance
> form, corrected version.
>          Specification 3. Failing to communicate why said form was not turned
> in the first time in a timely manner.
>          Specification 4. Failing to communicate why said form was not turned
> in at all the second time.
>          Specification 5. Failing to display any concern for his tardiness in
> turning in these critical forms.
>          Specification 6. Failing to display any interest in securing the
> forms before the legal deadline.
>          Specification 7. Lack of concern for known deadlines affecting
> ballot access for the Libertarian Presidential and Vice-Presidential
> candidates.
>          Specification 8. Causing the chair to go to great personal effort
> and expense to remedy the officer's failure to file required legal paperwork
> in a timely manner.
>          Specification 9. Volunteering to be a co-director of a Presidential
> campaign for Louisiana, and subsequently failing to accomplish any task,
> attend any function, offer any assistance with any planning or coordination
> of events, and essentially holding the position in name only.
>          Specification 10. Making false and baseless accusations of racism
> against a fellow state Central Committee member.
>          Specification 11. Making an announcement for elective office in a
> public forum without advising the State Central Committee in advance,
> thereby raising questions among the general membership and the voting public
> with respect to the Libertarian Party's implied endorsement of his
> candidacy, and drawing their leadership into question accordingly.
>          Specification 12. Failing to form an exploratory committee in
> advance of this public announcement, making the announcement without any
> established campaign committee, platform, or ready biography for prospective
> voters and media.
>          Specification 13. Failing to provide any such platform or
> biographical statement upon the request of prospective voters, Officers and
> other party members.
>          Specification 14. Filing for elective office in 2011 and failing to
> duly answer media inquiries, creating a poor impression on voters and media
> of the Libertarian Party, its candidates, and its leadership.
>
>          Charge 3. Unethical Conduct
>          Specification 1. Attempting to get reimbursed for the notarizing of
> an Affidavit of Acceptance form in 2008, such cost, incidental to being a
> candidate for elective office, being only legally payable by the candidate
> or a candidate's committee, and which cannot be paid by the Party.
>          Specification 2. Attending a 2009 Libertarian State Leadership
> Alliance conference, in the Chairman's proxy, at Party expense, for the
> purpose of learning more about the new CiviCRM online database system, but
> instead, using the opportunity to pitch a dubious fundraising scheme to
> other state chairs in concert with a personal business partner who made the
> trip, also at Party expense.
>          Specification 3. Soliciting the LPL to enter into an expensive and
> poorly worded contract to raise funds for the Party through a 3rd party via
> the selling of medical information devices, this being the same scheme
> pitched at the aforementioned conference, and one in which he has personal
> connections to the 3rd party which would profit from the contract.
>          Specification 4. Attempting to get reimbursed for travel expenses as
> a condition of fulfilling duties of his office. (traveling to a and from
> State Central Committee meetings)
>          Specification 5. Seeking reimbursement for travel and lodging to
> attend the NAACP 2012 convention as a “liaison” to that organization and
> representative of the Party.
>          Specification 6. Soliciting the Party and a Congressional candidate
> to use his personal business services at expense to the Party and the
> Candidate.
>          Specification 7. Using a Strategic Planning Committee meeting to
> solicit the party again to use these same services.
>          Specification 8. Using a Strategic Planning Committee meeting to
> solicit volunteers and support from party activists and officers for his
> campaign for elective office, rather than using the meeting to plan strategy
> for the Party.
>          Specification 9. Attempting to involve the Party in an electronic
> communications scheme which would expose its contact list to his personal
> business interests.
>          Specification 10. Has on numerous occasions, solicited interest in
> holding media events, concerts, festivals et cetera, which would not in any
> way be publicly linked to the Party, but which would be partly or entirely
> funded by the Party, in exchange for a share of the proceeds of such events,
> if any.  In all of these events, personal friends and himself, were to also
> profit.
>          Specification 11. Attempting to divert discussion at a State Central
> Committee meeting concerning online donation logistics towards using his
> personal contacts or himself as “bundlers” for Party funds.
>          Specification 12. Attempting to attend a private fundraiser for a
> Presidential Campaign without making a required donation and while inviting
> a guest who also would not make a required donation, thus each of them
> partaking of access to the candidate and party activists and of food and
> drink provided, without contribution.
>
>          This notice is given by order of the By-laws of the Libertarian
> Party of Louisiana, Article 15 § 2.
>
>          The session proceedings will be held strictly according to Robert's
> Rules of Order, Newly Revised, in particular, §61 Disciplinary Procedures,
> for the protection of the Party and the fairness of the accused.
>
>          A committee to be appointed by the Chairman, shall investigate these
> charges and specifications, and present these charges along with any
> witnesses or evidence to the Committee for its consideration.
>
>          A full briefing on the exact flow of the proceedings, and the rights
> and responsibilities of all involved, shall be issued along with the final
> agenda.
>
>          Per §61 of Robert's Rules of Order, Mr. Lewis' membership privileges
> (excepting those pertaining to these judicial proceedings), and thus his
> status as an officer of the Party, are suspended until the conclusion of the
> trial.
>
>
>
> Reed Ebarb, Secretary
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> SCC mailing list
> SCC at lplouisiana.org
> http://lplouisiana.org/mailman/listinfo/scc_lplouisiana.org