The 4th Quarter SCGOP State Executive Committee meeting is usually a “sleepy” affair followed by a “Christmas Party” at the Governor’s Mansion.

Having only four meetings a year of the 46 County Republican State Executive Committee (and one being a “no business” holiday affair) is one problem … but today the SCGOP State Executive Committee faces another problem …

Why are there TWO Lexington County Republican Parties???

Well, there really isn’t two … but there is a “splinter group” in Lexington purporting to be the LCRP. This “faux” LCRP is actually out there raising donations under the auspices of being the actual LCRP … their leader is showing up at GOP events and holding himself out as the LCGP “Chairman” … and they have actually been endorsing candidates for office using the official LCRP branding.

It is absolute bizzarro world … and many believe it to be CRIMINAL.

Wouldn’t it be “criminal fraud” to go out there raising money saying you were the “Make A Wish Foundation” … and you really were not the “Make A Wish Foundation”? Can you go out there and gather “Toys for Tots” … and then take the toys to your kids at home? YES, it is a real problem and it should be discussed at today’s SCGOP State Executive Committee meeting in Columbia.

We have reported on this Lexington GOP issue several times HERE & HERE … but it is now appears to be coming to a head.

WHERE THIS ALL BEGAN

“It will fall into a state of disrepair, become a complete dumpster fire and essentially be a leper colony for the next year and a half,” McKissick said.

In its place, McKissick suggested that “sane Republicans” might end up creating separate GOP clubs in the Greenville area for people who want to stay focused on the core party functions of supporting Republican candidates.

“We will help them do that in every way,” McKissick said.

Post & Courier, July 8, 2021 (HERE)

Remember in 2021 when America FIRST Patriots – otherwise known as platform Republicans – voted out the RINOs in Greenville County and SCGOP Chairman Drew McKissick called them all “lepers” and vowed to establish “GOP clubs” to work around the duly elected leadership in Greenville and several other counties? (HERE, HERE & HERE)

Well, two and a half years later the “absolutely insane” Greenville mySCGOP group has been re-elected … and other America FIRST counties like Lexington have followed suit … but it appears Drew McKissick is still at it with his splinter group “GOP clubs”.

This time however, one Drew McKissick aligned “GOP club” in Lexington has taken it to a new level … they actually call themselves the “Lexington County Republican Party”. Like they are the real LCRP.

YES … WOW!

RULES ARE RULES

The “splinter group” GOP club in Lexington is basing their claim by saying that the duly elected Chair, Pamela Godwin, has been “recalled”.

[NOTE: This news outlet has requested a copy of the rules and applicable supporting documentation from the “splinter group” on several occasions with no response.]

The real problem however … the SCGOP Rules do not allow for “recall” of an elected party official … and this has been a longstanding position of Drew McKissick himself since being elected chair in 2016 … and there are no records of anyone ever being “recalled” in SCGOP history that we can find.

So, it appears no precinct Executive Committeeman (EC), no precinct President … and most assuredly no county convention (or state convention) elected official has ever been “recalled” despite numerous attempts to do so over the past few years. And each time it was attempted … Drew McKissick himself stopped it as a violation of SCGOP Party Rules … but that was for his supporters, and this time it is different. Rules for thee, but not for me? We shall see.

[NOTE: For example, it has been reported that several years ago the Chairwoman in Anderson County, Cheryl Teague-Cuthrell, was voted out UNANIMOUSLY by the Anderson Executive Committee … and Drew personally overruled the ousting stating that the SCGOP does not have any recall provisions for an elected chairman.]

WILL DREW ACT TODAY?

This has been an ongoing issue for months now … since August … and reportedly Drew McKissick (as well as several party and elected officials) have confirmed privately that Pamela Godwin is still the Chair of the Lexington County Republican Party … and the “splinter group” is only a GOP club.

But the statement that Pamela Godwin remains the official Chair has not been made publicly by Drew since this mess was started by his “splinter group” … and you just can’t have a 2nd group calling themselves the official LCRP … can you? Not if you want to protect the GOP brand.

So the big question is will Drew McKissick act today at the SCGOP State Executive Committee meeting … or will Drew continue to kick this can down the road?

Numerous GOP leaders from across South Carolina are asking if we cannot protect the “brand” of the SCGOP … what good is the brand? If we are not a party of rule followers … what are we? If we don’t protect the election integrity of GOP party officials from our bi-annual ReOrg and County Conventions … have we abandoned all efforts for real Election Integrity?

OPENING A MASSIVE CAN OF WORMS: And if Drew flipflops and now allows for “recall” … can you imagine all the precincts, counties, and state delegates that may have buyer’s remorse and want to recall their current GOP party officials? It will become a full-time job of the SCGOP to handle recall efforts from top to bottom … in all 2,261 precincts and all 46 counties.

So, as the Governor and First Lady await the arrival tonight of the SCGOP State Executive Committee leaders from 46 counties … will any work be done to address this issue … or will there be faux precinct, county and state officials popping up all over South Carolina tomorrow … claiming to be the real deal?

Maybe even a new self-proclaimed SCGOP Chairman … wouldn’t that create turmoil in the SCGOP!!!

What a massive can of worms inaction could open up.

Stay tuned … an update tomorrow for sure.