The Party and Matt on the ousting of Matt Collins

Comments from Chairman Starnes:

The removal of Matt Collins from his position as First Vice Chair and as a member of the Davidson County Republican Party’s Executive Committee on November 24th, 2009 was not easy, nor one we took lightly.

However, DCRP Board members must be able to function as a team and not place a personal agenda above the Party’s agenda. When that happens, coupled with behavior and words that are disrespectful to Republican candidates or elected officials, the focus becomes on a person rather than the important issues at hand.

The vote of 14 members to five for the removal of Mr. Collins affirmed an earlier vote establishing a motion for removal and also demonstrated the Board’s commitment to maintain a standard of professionalism and civility among its leadership.

Kathleen Starnes
DCRP Chairman

Comments from Matt Collins:

As reported in the Nashville Post, immediately following the executive session hearing Collins made the following statement:

It is unfortunate the DCRP has chosen this destructive and divisive path booting members for standing up for principle and the Constitution.

It should be noted that I have broken no bylaws (even Chairman Starnes has admitted this) and this was a personal vindictive move by some in the DCRP and the TNGOP to remove me because they did not want their fellow Republicans such as Rep Zigzag Zach Wamp, Mayor “Ban’em” Bill Haslam, Senator “Large Government” Lamar Alexander, and Senator “Bailout Bob” Corker held accountable.

Every effort was made by myself to reach a mutual understanding, however Chairman Starnes refused to work with me in the closed door session. This Soviet style purge will result in the further alienation of the grassroots activists not only in Nashville but across the country as it is becoming more and more apparent that the GOP is a Party of exclusion.

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