The ongoing saga of the Republican Party establishment's continual battles with outspoken dissident Mike Ridgway took a new twist this week with the ouster of Ridgway and his wife, Bobbi Fox, from the Tooele County Republican Party and one of the state party's highest officials taking issue with the way that was done.
The 22-2 vote by the Tooele County Republican Central Committee Tuesday bans both Ridgways from holding any office in the Tooele County GOP. The resolution was the result of allegations that the Ridgways harassed a 78-year woman into resigning as a precinct chairwoman so Bobbi Fox could take her place and then appoint her husband Ridgway as a delegate.
Supporters of the Ridgways claim they were railroaded, were not given their due process and were only allowed three minutes each to speak in their own defense.
One of those supporters was the State Republican Party's newly elected vice chairman Morgan Philpot, a former legislator, who did not speak publicly at the event, but had a disagreement with Tooele County Republican Chairman Chris Sloan afterward.
Sloan reportedly was upset at Philpot because Philpot had attempted to call the elderly woman alleged to have been harassed by the Ridgways. The woman hung up on Philpot. Some Tooele County Republicans felt the call was a continuation of the harassment.
That prompted Philpot to e-mail Sloan apologizing for any perception he was trying to intimidate the woman and explaining that he just was trying to get to the bottom of the story.
"I did not intend to cause trouble," Philpot wrote. "I simply wanted to hear the story from the horse's mouth, so to speak, which would make my ability to answer questions and address the phone calls I'm receiving much easier."
Sloan said he appreciates that Philpot may disagree with the county party's position, but he implied that Philpot may have taken it too far, stating that the county party should be able to handle its own affairs.
Philpot said he simply believes the party should be careful to give due process to someone who effectively is being deprived of any meaningful participation in the party. "If they can do it to one, they can do it to any of us," he said.
This latest dust-up over Ridgway, this time involving the state party's vice chairman, comes at a time when the GOP is gearing up for a busy election year in 2010, with a special gubernatorial election adding to the intrigue of Sen. Bob Bennett's attempt to hold onto his seat after three terms and an expected run by the Republicans to oust Jim Matheson, Utah's only Democratic representative from the 2nd Congressional District.
Ridgway, who fashions himself a stickler for upholding the party's constitution and bylaws and has challenged what he has called party's cliques holding power, has had several run-ins in the past with GOP officials.
He has had a similar banishment from the Salt Lake County party and was arrested for trespassing after party officials called the police because of his attendance at a meeting.
He was charged with disorderly conduct while trying to attend a political debate in Provo and was confronted by relatives of Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo. The charge later was dismissed.
