EDITOR:
I am writing in response to Chris Kendall’s recent letter, “Behind the scenes in treasurer’s race.” Because Mr. Kendall specifically named me and made several assertions regarding the Platte County Republican Central Committee, I believe your readers deserve to hear the facts from the other side.
First, there was no “strategic decision” by the central committee to allow the primary to proceed while secretly planning to replace Elliott Lahn afterward. Mr. Kendall presents speculation about the motives and actions of numerous people as though it were established fact. It is not.
Like many people in our community, I received information concerning Mr. Lahn prior to the primary from an anonymous source. Receiving allegations or a packet of information, however, is not the same thing as having independently verified facts, nor does it automatically give a county political committee the authority to remove a duly filed candidate from the ballot.
Mr. Kendall suggests that the central committee is attempting to “strip voters of their choice” by considering what happens if Mr. Lahn withdraws. There is considerable irony in that accusation. Mr. Kendall himself currently holds the office of Platte County Treasurer because he was appointed to fill a vacancy. He was not originally placed in that office through an election by the voters.
Furthermore, when Mr. Kendall subsequently chose to withdraw as a Republican candidate in the face of possible removal from the ballot because of his failure to file a required financial disclosure statement with the county, he did not consult with or seek the approval of the Platte County Republican Central Committee before making that decision. It was his decision to withdraw.
Political parties and their committees must follow Missouri election law. If a vacancy in nomination legally occurs, there are statutory procedures governing whether and how that vacancy may be filled. Following those procedures is not unethical, nor is it an attempt to deprive voters of their choice. In fact, Mr. Kendall’s own path to the treasurer’s office demonstrates why laws establishing procedures for vacancies exist in the first place: government and elections must continue when vacancies occur.
The central committee cannot simply remove a candidate because someone sends committee members negative information about that candidate. Likewise, we cannot simply place another person’s name on the November ballot whenever we choose. Our authority is defined by Missouri law, and we are obligated to operate within it.
Since Mr. Kendall has raised the issue of accountability, there is another part of the record that deserves clarification. Mr. Kendall had been serving as county treasurer for less than a year following his appointment when he participated as a member of the Platte County Salary Commission, which voted to increase the compensation for the office he holds by approximately 30%.
The Platte County Republican Central Committee had no vote and no control over the salary commission’s decision. Nevertheless, that vote understandably generated considerable concern among taxpayers and Republican voters. Individuals who voted in favor of the increases were told that dissatisfied citizens might choose to challenge them in future Republican primaries. That is not a threat from the central committee. That is how elections work. Voters and potential candidates have every right to hold elected officials accountable for their votes.
Mr. Kendall also suggests that the committee’s actions regarding him were intended to “divert public attention.” They were not. His decision to withdraw, questions surrounding ballot eligibility, the salary commission vote, and the current situation involving the Republican nominee for treasurer are separate matters. Combining them into a narrative of a coordinated central committee conspiracy does not make that narrative true.
Mr. Kendall says this is about “accountability and transparency.” On that point, we agree. But accountability works both ways. It means accurately representing what the central committee can and cannot legally do. It means taking responsibility for one’s own decisions and votes. And it means distinguishing documented facts from assumptions about other people’s motives.
I will not engage in personal attacks against Mr. Kendall, Mr. Lahn, or anyone else involved. As chairwoman, my responsibility is to the Platte County Republican Central Committee, Republican voters, and the duties entrusted to the committee under Missouri law and our governing rules.
There is nothing improper about asking questions when circumstances change. There is nothing unethical about preparing to fulfill the committee’s legal responsibilities should a vacancy occur. And there is certainly nothing wrong with insisting that those decisions be made according to law rather than rumor, accusation, or political pressure.
The voters of Platte County deserve the complete story, not just one person’s version of what supposedly happened “behind the scenes.” They deserve a Republican Central Committee that follows the law, respects the electoral process, and performs its responsibilities when called upon to do so.
That is exactly what I intend to continue doing.
--Tammy Thompson
Chairwoman
Platte County Republican
Central Committee
