Rich Anderson, Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia sent a letter to members of the party on Friday admonishing the people who are seeking to cause disruption within the party.
Texts and robocall campaigns have been underway in the days since the Republican State Central Committee voted to hold a nominating convention to choose their 2021 candidates.
In a text received by Virginia Sope, they first offered an introduction to a fake “Willie,” then the author wrote, “Call RPV chairman Rich Anderson and demand he fight for your right to vote and not side with RINO elites stealing our vote. Call this number back to be forwarded to Rich Anderson and demand a primary.”
In an attempt to call the number, Anderson’s voicemail was reached.
“For days now, many of us on the State Central Committee have received a barrage of robocalls, direct calls, text messages, and social media posts from those who disagree with the State Central Committee decision to select our statewide candidates by convention,” Anderson wrote in the letter. Anderson stated that he received 14 calls in the time that it took him to type the letter.
“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the tactics used to harass my fellow SCC members who have stepped forward to serve,” wrote Anderson. “As Republicans, we have diversity of thought and opinion on a number of issues because are all free men and women.”
Anderson asked for the people behind the campaign to stop immediately. “If these words are read by the party who had a hand in subjecting our fellow SCC member to this barrage of call and invasion of personal privacy, I ask that you immediately terminate the calls,” he stated in the letter.
According to Anderson, the roster with personal information about State Central Committee members was compromised. “I deeply regret that our proprietary State Central Committee roster was compromised,” he wrote. “Our roster is a protected document that contains sensitive personal information and deserves protections from public disclosures.”
He made a direct appeal to the people involved. “I appeal to your sense of fair play to never disclose our State Central Committee roster to third parties.”
Anderson said that he does not plan to investigate the matter, noting that after he talked to attorneys, they realized it would be a “costly endeavor” to move forward with litigation. “Based on my experience of receiving similar uninvited calls over an eight-year period as a member of the House of Delegates, I believe that this will taper and end in the near term,” wrote Anderson.
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