Embattled Va. GOP Chairman Vows Fight to Retain Post

By Tim Craig

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

RICHMOND, March 17 -- In fighting to keep his job as chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick sent a memo to supporters today that paints his critics as GOP "insiders" responsible for the party's dramatic decline in recent years.

In the lengthy statement, Frederick vows he "will not back down" even though nearly every top ranking GOP office holder in the state is calling for him to resign.

Frederick said he represents the party's grass roots in a clash against the "small minority" who want to turn the Virginia GOP "into a rubber stamp for its long-time insiders."

"For years, the Virginia Republican Party had been run from the top down, with consultants and lobbyists providing far more input into the direction of our party than the grassroots," said Frederick, who blamed national and Virginia party leaders for loss of U.S. Senate and House seats in 2006. "Rest assured, we're fighting for the future of our Republican Party and our commonwealth and we will not back down."

Two weeks ago, a lopsided majority of the state central committee signed a letter calling for a meeting on April 4 to consider Frederick's ouster as chairman. A three-fourths vote will be needed to remove Frederick, a 33-year-old social and fiscal conservative.

Former attorney general Robert F. McDonnell, the party's nominee for governor, and all five of the party's members of Congress from Virginia have endorsed his ouster. They were joined by the entire Republican leadership in the state Senate and House Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford).

"With its current chairman, we have serious reservations about how effectively the state party can help us accomplish our goals and persuade a majority of Virginia voters that Republicans have the right ideas and policy prescriptions," Howell wrote in a letter to party leaders.

GOP leaders say Frederick, who was elected at last year's state GOP convention, mismanaged the state party and is incompetent. They outlined 10 charges against him dealing with his management style.

The most serious charges allege that Frederick directed party business to a company he owns, made unauthorized expenditures and "damaged the reputation and effectiveness" of the state party by refusing to work closely with Arizona Sen. John McCain's campaign staff last year.

Frederick released a point-by-point rebuttal to each charge today.

He acknowledged that his company, GSX Strategies Inc., briefly processed the state party's online donations last summer and kept 7 percent of the $21,135 that was raised to "cover incidental expenses and required remittances." But Frederick adds his "company provided free services to the party in an amount that was 30 times greater than the total of the alleged compensation received by his company."

Frederick denied having made expenditures that were not authorized or consistent with the formal rules that govern the party.

As for not working collaboratively with others, Frederick said he and his staff "undertook several sensitive assignments from both federal and state elected officials and nominees."

"I make no apologies for standing against these efforts to remove me or the changes I've made within our party to give greater authority and input to the grassroots," Frederick wrote.

But the effort to remove Frederick continues to split the party leadership just as members were starting to feel more confident about their standing in Virginia. Last week, for example, a Republican won a seat on the Fairfax Board of Supervisors that had been previously held by a Democrat.

The rhetoric on both sides has been increasingly nasty, threatening McDonnell's efforts to unify the party behind his campaign for governor.

Anthony Bedell, chairman of the Fairfax County Republican Committee, used to be a close ally of Frederick's. But in an interview last week, Bedell said he probably will support his removal.

"His personality is the problem," Bedell said. "I've been disappointed in a lot of his actions over the last nine months."

Mike Wade, chairman of the 3rd Congressional District Republican Committee, added "Frederick just cannot do the job."

"How is Jeff Frederick furthering the goal of the Republican Party right now? Answer that, Jeff," Wade said. "You are not doing your job, Jeff. That is the problem."

Michael Giere, a central committee member from Falls Church, countered that the rank-and-file conservative activists want Frederick to remain.

"There is no question that the grass roots in this commonwealth are solidly behind Jeff Frederick," Giere said. "It is not even open for discussion. . . . I am very, very sad to see this happening. Hopefully, cooler heads are going to intervene."

Tagged: politics, Republican Party, State news

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