Future of Local Republican Executive Committee Uncertain

MANATEE COUNTY — After receiving numerous grievance complaints regarding the Manatee County Republican Executive Committee, the Republican Party of Florida voted to suspend the local political committee on Sept. 7, 2024.

According to an email addressed to Manatee County Executive Committee (MREC) Chair April Culbreath, RPOF Chairman Evan Power explained the action was taken after the RPOF Grievance Committee recommended suspension due to “numerous grievances” including “lawsuits and police reports.”

“The grievance committee,” Power wrote in the email, “decided it was impossible to understand the complex dynamics of all of these grievances.”

“In the meantime,” Power’s email continued, “the REC is prohibited from making any new expenditures that have not already been committed or obligated…I also request that you provide the RPOF with all financial records of Manatee County to myself and RPOF Treasurer Mike Moberley.”

Power referred to the MREC suspension as temporary, stating that the RPOF Executive Board had designated him to “come up with a turnaround plan” for the local party committee. The plan, wrote Power, is to be presented to the RPOF Executive Board for its approval in the “coming weeks.”

Power also directed that the Manatee REC was prohibited from calling any regular or special meetings until a turnaround plan was approved by the RPOF Executive Board.

Power was elected as chairman of the RPOF in January after former GOP chairman—Christian Ziegler—was forced out following a public scandal of a sexual nature. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called for Zeigler's resignation as GOP Chair and the state GOP board voted to censure him, strip him of authority, and drop his salary down to $1. 

Power, who was serving as the party's vice chair at the time, was voted into the state party's top leadership position roughly a month after Zeigler's exit. 

The timing of the RPOF's decision to suspend the local party committee has raised eyebrows among some Manatee REC members, with the general election—to include a presidential race—just around the bend.

The suspension was also made just weeks following Manatee REC Chair Culbreath losing her bid for the county’s District 3 BOCC seat in the August primary election.

Along with Culbreath, several other of her political allies also lost their bids at election and/or reelection, including Republicans Kevin Van Ostenbridge, Ray Turner, Steve Metallo, and Supervisor of Elections candidate (and a former county commissioner) James Satcher—both Turner and Satcher had received Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appointments to the seats they were seeking election to.

Some local REC members are also questioning why the RPOF Executive Board would take this action now, despite months of REC members—including some former MREC board members—having expressed concerns with the state GOP and party chair about the actions of the Manatee REC and its leadership.

When Culbreath’s intention to seek election to the Manatee County Commission was made public in the fall of 2023, some REC members called for her to step down as MREC chair due to the potential of running a campaign distracting from effective committee leadership. Some also raised questions about a potential conflict of interest between Culbreath being the head of the local party while also a candidate facing a Republican challenger for the same commission district seat.

By December, two executive members had resigned. In January, Manatee REC members held a special meeting led by the committee’s vice chair after Culbreath allegedly refused to call a meeting to fill the vacancies on the committee’s executive board.

Following the MREC special meeting, Culbreath and other members cried foul, calling the meeting “invalid.” RPOF Chair Power sided with Culbreath. However, committee members who met for the meeting argued that they followed established bylaws and accused the state party leadership of trying to find reasons to discredit a legitimate meeting and the votes taken.

Come February, MREC members again met for a meeting of the committee, and this time rendered a vote of “no confidence” against Chair Culbreath.

The February meeting was called by Culbreath who moved quickly to try to adjourn the meeting before taking up the agenda, but REC members who remained believed they had a quorum and that the meeting was never officially adjourned because it was never called to order.

In Culbreath’s absence, the remaining members held the vote of no confidence with the MREC vice chair presiding.

With disagreements regarding the volatility of the meeting, Manatee REC members filed a grievance with the Republican Party of Florida to resolve the matter. Powers ruled that the meeting and actions taken at the meeting were invalid. 

As the year went on, things did not improve within the local Republican committee. By the summer of 2024, multiple legal actions had been filed against the MREC leadership and Chair Culbreath, including a civil complaint regarding allegations of intentional mishandling and vandalism of an electronic device, allegations of inappropriate financial expenditures, and a civil action seeking an emergency injunction to prevent Culbreath from removing an incumbent committee member without due process or denying any member right to attend a committee meeting.

Months before the most recent action of the RPOF to “temporarily suspend” the local party committee, the MREC saw multiple resignations under Clubreath’s leadership, including that of several committee members.

TBT reached out to Republican Party of Florida Chairman Evan Power seeking clarity on the determination of the RPOF Executive Committee’s action to temporarily suspend the MREC, and inquiring about its reestablishment, whether the “turnaround plan” will honor local committee person primary elections, or if the MREC might be reinstated before the general election.

A spokesperson for the RPOF responded to our inquiry by email, writing, "The Republican Party of Florida is committed to supporting our candidates in Manatee County and throughout Florida. We are laser-focused on electing President Trump, Senator Scott, our down-ballot candidates, and defeating Amendments 3 and 4. RPOF Chairman Evan Power and the Executive Board will continue to work and communicate directly with our members in Manatee County per our party rules of procedure."

Tuesday evening, TBT obtained a copy of an email that was sent earlier in the day by RPOF Executive Director Bill Helmich to several RPOF executive committee members informing them that a special meeting of the RPOF Executive Board would be held on Monday, September 23, related to the suspension of the MREC.

“Executive Committee Members and Alternates,” the email notice read. “Please find attached and below notice for a meeting to discuss the turnaround plan for Manatee County. This is a very important meeting and your attendance is requested.”

After sharing the special meeting date and time, the email concluded by stating, “Per the vote of the RPOF Executive Board on the recommendation of the Grievance Committee to discuss the implementation of the turnaround plan for Manatee County. Please send any recommendations for the turnaround plan to Chairman Evan Power, Treasurer Mike Moberly, Secretary Kristy Banks, and Executive Director Bill Helmich.”

While local party members await more information concerning a path forward, rumors have been swirling regarding the possible motivations behind the RFOP action to suspend the local party committee and the path forward as it appears under the control and discernment of state party leadership.

Speaking to TBT by phone, Trent Wayman—Manatee State Republican Committeeman elect—urged REC members to be cautious about jumping to conclusions.

“I want to strongly encourage committee members to rely only on information from verified or official sources,” Wayman urged. “It’s imperative that during this time, Manatee REC members stay away from jumping to conclusions and rather await the details of the ‘turnaround plan’ that we have been assured is forthcoming in a matter of weeks.”