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Oaths Sent On Time, No. 2 Republican Says

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By RONNIE BLAIR

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 18, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - The vice chairman of the Pasco County Republican Executive Committee said Thursday that he faxed 19 loyalty oaths to state party headquarters before the deadline last month after the chairman refused to accept two of the oaths.

The signed loyalty oaths are required for candidates running to serve as Pasco's local and state committee members in the Republican Party.

Two members of the executive committee who are running to retain their seats have said they think Chairman Bill Bunting is trying to manipulate the election to make sure he stays in power.

Vice Chairman Steve Graves said he was surprised to learn that nine of the people whose oaths he sent to Tallahassee were included on a list of 27 candidates Bunting tried to get removed from the ballot for not signing the oaths.

"I'm not sure what is going on," Graves said. "It was my understanding from the state they did receive them, and they were accepted."
Bunting wrote a letter last month to Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley in an unsuccessful attempt to remove the names from the Aug. 26 ballot.
Bunting said Tuesday that he was just following party rules and referred questions to state party headquarters in Tallahassee. A party spokeswoman said state Chairman James Greer did want all supervisors of elections in the state to be aware that some of the committee candidates won't be eligible to serve because of failure to sign the loyalty oaths.

On Thursday, Bunting said it was ridiculous for anyone to complain about how the situation was handled because the local party headquarters on State Road 52 was open all week before the deadline to submit the oaths, and a nearby Bank of America branch notarized the forms for free.

"Why didn't they just stop at the office, and they would have got a receipt?" he said.

Graves said Bunting didn't attend the June 19 executive committee meeting, held the night before the loyalty oaths were due. At the meeting, 18 people turned in their oaths.

Graves said that when he contacted Bunting, the chairman wouldn't accept two of the oaths.

"I told him he would have to accept all of them," Graves said.

Graves decided to contact state headquarters. He said he faxed those 18 oaths, plus an additional one, to Tallahassee before the noon deadline on June 20. Graves said he also mailed the original copies using certified mail.

Graves declined to say which two loyalty oaths Bunting refused to accept.

John and Judy Kennedy, running in Precinct 65, said they think Bunting is trying to control who sits on the executive committee so he can retain his position as chairman. The Kennedys were among the people who gave Graves their loyalty oaths, but were on the list of people Bunting said aren't eligible.

The Kennedys and Bunting aren't on good terms. In January, the couple filed a grievance with the state party saying Bunting falsely accused them of disrupting the executive committee's Nov. 15 meeting. They say they simply raised questions about expenditures.
Bunting said the Kennedys had the responsibility to deliver their loyalty oaths to party headquarters as many other people did. Had they done so, he said, there wouldn't have been a problem.

"Some people like to follow the rules," Bunting said. "Some people think they can grandstand later in the newspaper."

Bunting's handling of the loyalty oaths also drew criticism from a Republican lawmaker.

State Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, said he was disturbed when Graves told him Bunting had refused to accept some of the oaths.

"The local party should stop disenfranchising individuals who want to participate in the democratic process," Fasano said.

Meanwhile, the chairwoman of the Pasco County Democratic Executive Committee said her party took a different approach.

Alison Morano said she invoked a clause in her party's bylaws to bump up the number of positions on the committee and give nearly all the committee candidates a seat.

She said she figured instead of fighting with each other, they should work together.

"We want as many people participating as possible," Morano said. "We have a president to elect."

One precinct remains contested because three men are running there and the most the bylaws would allow was two committeemen positions.

Reporter Ronnie Blair can be reached at (813) 948-4218 or rblair@tampatrib.com.

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