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Civil Rights
Discrimination
Voting Rights Act

Delegates to the Republican National Convention, et al. v. Republican National Committee, et al.

Published: Sep. 8, 2012 | Result Date: Jul. 7, 2012 | Filing Date: Jan. 1, 1900 |

Case number: 8:2012-cv-00927 Bench Decision –  Dismissal

Court

USDC Central


Attorneys

Plaintiff

Richard C. Gilbert


Defendant

Charles H. Bell

Brian T. Hildreth


Facts

Delegates to the Republican National Convention (112 total) filed suit against the Republican National Committee and 51 state Republican parties and their chairmen, alleging that the party establishment used underhanded tactics to undermine Ron Paul delegates' bid to secure delegate seats at the national convention. These Paul supporters claimed that the RNC and state parties violated the Voting Rights Act by misusing state bylaws, threatening voters, and using election fraud. They also alleged that the Republican Party of Massachusetts had wrongly excluded 17 elected state delegates for the national convention because they refused to commit to a particular nominee.

Result

The Court dismissed the lawsuit, finding the claims to be vague and mostly unintelligible, that the plaintiffs were unlikely to be able to state a claim under the Voting Rights Act, but allowing the plaintiffs leave to amend. On the allegations made, the Court stated that the Republican Party was not accused of discrimination on account of race or disparate impact on minority voters or threats of violence or economic coercion.


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