Activists don’t have right to join Clark County GOP, judge rules

A District Court judge ruled Wednesday that several activists, including one avowed member of the far-right Proud Boys group, do not have a legal right to join the Clark County Republican Party’s central committee.

The activists, several of whom have been accused of harassment, threatening local elected women and taking credit for influencing a vote to censure Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske, filed a lawsuit last week against both the county party and the Nevada Republican Party. They sought to force a temporary stop to all meetings and an order forcing their addition to the Clark County party’s central committee.

Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez found that because the Clark County Republican Party is a private political organization, the plaintiffs had no legal right to membership and denied their injunction request. The Nevada Republican Party was removed as a defendant, as the plaintiffs made no specific allegations against it.

Racial bias alleged

However, one section of the lawsuit was allowed to proceed.

The activists’ attorney, Adam Fulton, claimed that some 102 Filipino-Americans were denied addition onto the central committee because of their race.

Jaime Serrano Jr., attorney for the party, contended the activists provided no evidence of this alleged discrimination.

Gonzalez agreed with Serrano, saying the plaintiffs have yet to provide any credible evidence such discrimination occurred, but she allowed Fulton some time to amend his lawsuit and submit more evidence to the court.

“I am allowing them to submit evidence of discrimination against a protected class,” Gonzalez said. “That’s where I feel I have jurisdiction in this matter.”

In an interview with the Review-Journal last week, Richard MacLean, the county party’s chief of staff, denied any allegations of racial discrimination. He said several groups had mistakenly viewed two lists — one that contains people removed from the party central committee because they moved or for other reasons, and another of people who have been added after attending two meetings — as lists of attendees for upcoming meetings.

Meeting canceled

On Monday, the county party canceled its regular meeting, citing security concerns. The party said several of the plaintiffs, Rudy Clai and Matt Anthony Yankley, also subjects of the Review-Journal’s story, had been banned from central committee membership due to hosting antisemitic content on a social media platform and making threats against elected Republicans.

Fulton accused the party of removing his clients without cause. Matt Anthony Yankley denied having made a threat or knowledge of the antisemitic content.

Wednesday marked the second time in 24 hours the two sides appeared before Gonzalez.

On Tuesday, they met to discuss the activists’ request for Gonzalez to cancel the county party’s meeting that evening.

Fulton told the court some 350 new members were now planning to attend the meeting and instead asked Gonzalez to do precisely the opposite of what he asked for in the lawsuit. Rather than cancel the meeting, the judge should force it to take place, he said.

Gonzalez simultaneously denied Fulton’s in-court request and granted one of his lawsuit’s demands, ordering that no meeting should take place on Tuesday.

During Wednesday’s court appearance, Serrano told Gonzalez that several people did show up to the planned meeting location at First Baptist Church of Las Vegas and represented themselves as Clark County Republican Party members, despite the order.

Gonzalez did not respond to that claim in court.

Contact Rory Appleton at rappleton@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0276. Follow @RoryDoesPhonics on Twitter.