I just came across an article published in February by Massachusetts LP activist George Phillies (below) about some developments in the national Libertarian Party over the last few months which are rather shocking and disturbing.
It appears that the unelected Libertarian National Campaign Committee headed by Wayne Allyn Root is compelling the elected Libertarian National Committee to turn over to it all party fundraising data and other "constituent information", and toward this end has empowered the LNC vice-chair (W.A.R. ally Mark Rutherford, who is running for LNC chair) to go to LP headquarters and seize the information on behalf of the LNCC if necessary. Of course the LNCC is also supposed to share its information with the LNC, but if the LNCC, unlike the badly fractured LNC, is filled from top to bottom with handpicked W.A.R. allies, who will blow the whistle if it doesn't?
When I first saw the LNCC website (www.LNCC.org) a few months ago, I was disturbed that it looked too conservative and too full of W.A.R.'s usual self-promotion. But now I'm starting to wonder whether there's something even more sinister going on. The LNCC doesn't present itself as what it was originally designed to be -- an arm of the Libertarian Party with the sole function of raising money for congressional candidates. Rather it gives the appearance of being a full-fledged independent organization, with its own issues, its own newsletter, its own staff. The LNCC website doesn't seek to direct site visitors to the national party -- rather it solicits volunteers, donations, and publicity on its own behalf. Elected LP chair Mark Hinkle's name does not appear anywhere on the LNCC site. I've heard elsewhere that the only candidates the LNCC supports are those favored by W.A.R.'s faction.
What this looks like is an attempt to pull off a palace coup -- to build, essentially, a party within a party -- using the Libertarian Party's name and resources to enrich and empower the LNCC and further its agenda, as dictated by W.A.R. and his backers like Aaron Starr. LNC member Kevin Knedler recently told me that "The LNCC is run by Wayne Allyn Root and Aaron Starr. It has its own rules."
Unfortunately, W.A.R. and many of his supporters also sit on the Libertarian National Committee, which is how they've been able to get away with this much. The LNCC is not mentioned anywhere in our party's bylaws -- it was created by the LNC, and it can be reigned in or even eliminated by the LNC. But the only way this will happen is if we elect LNC members willing to take back the Libertarian Party, and not allow W.A.R. and his collaborators to turn the LP into a top-down, pay-to-play organization and lead us down the path to conservatism.
Love & Liberty,
((( starchild )))