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WARREN -- A name has been submitted to Secretary of State Jon Husted to fill the Republican spot on the Trumbull County Board of Elections, but the local GOP leader said the submission is invalid and is awaiting legal advice on how to proceed.
The deadline for names to be submitted to Husted's office passed on Tuesday, and according to his spokesperson Joshua Eck, the deadline cannot be extended because it is a state statute.
Kathi Creed said her name was submitted to Husted's office, although she did not know if the secretary has made a decision yet. The submission was sent at a meeting Jan. 31 chaired by Bob Davis with Martha Yoder acting as secretary, although the appointment can't be made by Husted yet because of the infighting within the Trumbull GOP, Creed said.
Forty-nine members of the Trumbull GOP voted Jan. 31 to remove Trumbull GOP Chairman Randy Law and Debra Roth as treasurer, though Law claimed the meeting was illegitimate because only he and John Blue could chair meetings, among other reasons. Other members of the Trumbull GOP no longer see Law as the legitimate chairman.
"Right now we have no chairman as far as we're concerned," Creed said.
Asked whether any names had been submitted by the GOP, Law said he was unaware of any submissions made to the secretary of state. He also didn't understand how any submissions could be sent since they require the signature of the chairman, and Law said he hasn't signed anything. Even if something were to happen to the current chairman, Law said vice chairman John Blue would then become chairman, not somebody else.
A meeting was held Saturday to decide on a submission to the Board of Elections, but was broken up by Warren Township police when GOP members began shoving each other as they attempted to enter. Because Chief Don Bishop requested everyone to leave the building, the meeting never determined who would be submitted by the Trumbull GOP. However, Creed said her name had been submitted before Saturday's meeting took place.
Law said he has not made any submissions because he is waiting on legal advice from Husted and the Ohio GOP, and wants to avoid taking any actions in case he may be advised not to. Law said the situation the Trumbull GOP is going through has never happened before, which contributes to the confusion.
"I don't want to speculate, I will do what they advise me to do," Law said.
Law said the secretary of state could make his own appointment, if the situation demands it. Eck confirmed that Husted has not yet determined who will be appointed.
ddye@tribtoday.com