NY State Libertarian Party War!

If you are not a scholar of internal third party squabbles, this will have no value other than entertainment value. But, entertaining it is. Grab your popcorn.

On June 8, Kristin Davis put out a press release that said in part:

LIBERTARIAN PARTY ENDORSES EX-MADAM

Ex-Madam Kristin Davis, best known for her role in supplying escorts for former Governor Eliot Spitzer, announced that she will run as the Libertarian Party Candidate for New York City Comptroller against Democrat Scott Stringer. Davis was endorsed by the New York City Libertarian Party nominating convention in Queens last night.

During my interview with Roger Stone, he identified Davis as the Libertarian Party candidate.  But I recieved an email from Dave Narby, it said:

Great podcast.  Unfortunately, Kristin Davis IS NOT THE LP CANDIDATE.  She lost the vote 2:1.

Hesham El-Meligy is the NYS LP candidate for Comptroller.

http://meligy.us/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hesham-El-Meligy/170781013093976?directed_target_id=0

Hesham is a great candidate and a great American, and deserves.  Please issue a correction.

I asked Narby for proof, he responded with this

 http://www.lp.org/candidates/liberty-candidates-13/hesham-el-meligy

Frankly, I'm pretty fucking pissed off that Davis and your guest presented her as the candidate.  You should be too, as they are clearly using the LP for their own aggrandizement.

The press was understandably happy to promote Davis IMO because it makes the LP look like we aren't worthy of serious consideration.  While Davis would be better than Spitzer, I doubt she would be better than the Republican candidate.

El Meligy is a principled Libertarian, an accountant, and a NYC resident who is civically in the community, IMO he is the most qualified to hold the position.  But the press would rather the LP had a former madam as the candidate.

I am proud that the LP chapter I helped found (and ran for NYS assembly under) successfully fielded him as a candidate.  I am proud that we helped to raise the profile of the LP in Richmond county and NYS.  I am royally pissed off that opportunists are taking advantage of all our hard work to draw attention to themselves for their own selfish benefit, and making the LP look like clowns in the bargain.

I have put too much time into this party and movement to see it co-opted by an opportunist and a skank.  Seriously Robert:  WTF.

I contacted both Stone and Davis, here are their responses. 

Kristin Davis writes:

Whoever this person speaking is - has no clue what they are talking about. I was nominated on April 9th by over 70 people

http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2013/04/kristin-davis-declines-lp-nomination-for-nyc-mayor-to-run-for-comptroller/

While I've heard a small faction has thrown a 2nd convention with their whopping 8 people in an illegal attempt to overturn the results of the first- however I do not acknowledge that nor does the biggest Libertarian Chapter in NY and the ones who organized and chaired the original convention. http://drtomstevens.blogspot.com/2013/07/kristin-davis-libertarian-partys.html

Roger Stone writes:

 I'd don't know who this asshole is but the New York City Libertarian convention met on  April 9 and 71 people were eligible to vote under the rules.

Kristin Davis was nominated for Comptroller.

 A small dissident faction of  Libertarians, unhappy with the result, held a rump convention--8 people participated.  All of them voted in the previous convention.They "voided" the results of the previous convention and nominated a radical Islamist named El Meligy. No he is not the legitimate nominee of the LP--he is the nominee of a handful of loudmouths who can't face their crushing defeat and can't muster more than 8 people for a "convention'

The Libertarian Party is unrecognized in the state of New York. The assertion that prior use of the name or tradmarking of the name or filing of the name as a PAC gives
one control of the name is false. The Board of Elections will rule on this if two "Libertarian" candidates file for the same office. If either side is unhappy with the ruling they can sue
the BOE. We welcome both the BOE ruling and a law-suit. Some local "libertarians" need to be spanked . They will be .

We will , of course challenge El Meligy's petititons and will refer fraud to the local District Attorney for criminal prosecution. 

Worst case-- the BOE directs either candidate or both  chose another name. Kristin Davis can garner publicity and raise money. It would only be the Libertarian party's loss. Candidates who cannot raise the New York City Campaign Finance Board matching fund threshold are not required to be in the fall debates. The Al Queda candidate ,El Meligy cannot hope to meet this threshold, despite the strong support he is getting from the Muslim Brotherhood and the Taliban. 

Kristin Davis will be on the ballot and in the debates with or without the Libertarian Party label.

Enjoyed doing the show and appreciate your interest in my upcoming book.