Florida GOP chair backs Culbreath in Manatee County REC power struggle

The new chairman of the Republican Party of Florida is siding with Manatee County Executive Committee Chair April Culbreath in an ongoing dispute with members.

Two members said they resigned from the Manatee REC's executive board in December over financial management, citing questionable expenses by the executive board, a lack of fundraising and concern that the committee's coffers have dwindled by about $42,200 over the past year.

Manatee County REC members met last week for a special meeting called by Vice Chair Nathan Knight. Members voted to fill two vacant seats on the executive board and enacted new financial management policies aimed at limiting the board's spending ability.

Culbreath — who is also a candidate for Manatee County commission — and others, like new Florida GOP Chairman Evan Power and former Manatee REC Chair Steve Vernon, are calling the special meeting invalid.

Catch up: Manatee County Republican Executive Committee chairwoman is under fire over financial woes

Power told the Herald-Tribune last week that questions about the meeting's validity will have to go through a Florida GOP executive board grievance process. He said some technicalities invalidate the special meeting and nullify the votes cast.

"It may be a long grievance process, but we have 100% faith in the chair to continue doing the work of the Republican Party," Power said.

Committee members who met last week say they followed all bylaws that govern the Manatee REC. They say leadership is now trying to find reasons to discredit a legitimate meeting.

"They are distorting, deflecting, distracting from the issues. They are inventing things," former Manatee REC Treasurer Bruce Stamm said. "Just because they scream and throw a lot of smoke out there doesn't change the fact that Nathan Knight has the right, as vice chair, to call for a special meeting."

Special meeting in question

Even though they are all registered Republicans, there is a dichotomy between members who regularly find themselves on opposite sides of many local issues.

Vernon, the committee's former chairman, said those internal struggles between members are at the root cause of Monday's special meeting — a meeting which he also discredits.

"This isn't a complicated story about finances. It's a story about political revenge," Vernon said. "This is a story about people who aren't in power, but so desperately want to be in power that they will distort any fact. Make any false claim. Tell any lies necessary."

The meeting was called via email notice by Knight on Jan. 11, where he wrote: "this email serves as 10 days notice" in bold letters. It was held on Jan. 22, presided over by Knight, and attended by enough members to form a quorum.

The committee voted to appoint Jacqueline Heisse to former Treasurer Bruce Stamm and Sandra Freas to replace former Secretary Marnie Matarese on the executive board. Stamm and Matarese resigned in December. The committee also voted to impose a new financial policy aimed at curbing board spending.

Stamm said it's the will of the Manatee REC members that should be honored by the Florida GOP.

"I just believe we need to move forward and honor the results," Stamm said. "We had 90 plus members who were committed enough to show up... People discussed things. We voted on it. This is the last gasp of tyranny. They have to try and find some technicality. Try to grasp at straws. Try to ask for the heavy hand of the Republican Party of Florida to overturn the will of the majority of the membership."

'Chairman protection program'

Manatee is one of several county Republican executive committees and clubs that have become embroiled in local power struggles as the 2024 Republican primary approaches.

Palm Beach County Republicans cast a vote of 'no confidence' against Chair Kevin Neal in a special meeting on Jan. 18, but REC's members were forced to stop short of full removal by Florida GOP rule.

The Republican Club of South Sarasota County resigned its charter in January and adopted the name America First Southwest Florida Caucus to break loose of Florida GOP constraints. The move gave the group the option to remove the club's president and other officers. It also gives them the ability to endorse candidates this year, an option that was not available to the club previously under Florida GOP rules.

More: Longtime south Sarasota Republic club changes name and purpose, causing confusion

"I have long said, the only way we can be defeated in Manatee County is if we defeat ourselves," Culbreath said. "Many of these folks, whose only goal is to take power for themselves, would rather burn the party to the ground than work together towards our defined objectives."

Stamm makes no bones about it. He said it's only new state party rule that is protecting Culbreath's role with the Manatee REC.

"I'm going to be honest, the RPOF has a chairman protection program," Stamm said. "Given the opportunity, had the RPOF not changed the rules, we would have voted her out of office. More than half of the REC does not want her as chair."

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Florida GOP chair backs Culbreath in Manatee County REC power struggle