$795,000 Flows from Kennedy Based Organizations to Libertarian Chair's Organizations
My Brief to the Libertarian Judicial Committee on the removal of Secretary Caryn Ann Harlos details the finances and much more
For a background on the removal of Secretary Harlos, please visit LPedia.
BRIEF PRO SE AMICUS CURIAE IN SUPPORT OF THE PETITIONER
SUBMITTED BY: JAKE PORTER
Summary
Secretary Caryn Ann Harlos was investigated and unjustly ousted from her position by Libertarian National Committee board members, including a chair, who are embroiled in undisclosed conflicts of interest. This brief will demonstrate why the judicial committee should restore Harlos to her elected position post haste.
This brief examines three conflicts of interest board members who held a role in the investigation and suspension of Harlos and why the judicial committee must not allow the board to continue to retaliate against Secretary Harlos for doing the job the delegates elected her to do. Additionally, this brief shows examples of how both Secretary Harlos and former Treasurer Todd Hagopian have been retaliated against for their opposition to the Kennedy fundraising committee and therefore their appeal of the judicial committee relating to the Kennedy fundraising committee.
Chair Angela McArdle
Collusion to keep LP Presidential Nominee off Colorado ballot
Chair McArdle became enraged when Secretary Harlos put Libertarian Party nominee Chase Oliver on the Colorado ballot. Despite initially leading the LNC to believe otherwise, McArdle went so far as to try to remove Oliver from the Colorado ballot as can be found in public e-mails released from the Colorado Secretary of State.
According to leaked messages, McArdle encouraged people to support the Colorado LP placing RFK Jr. on the ballot instead of Oliver. Additionally, McArdle attacked our Presidential nominee in the process of doing so.
One potential reason why the Chair may have wanted the Colorado Libertarian Party to put RFK Jr. on the ballot and not party nominee Chase Oliver is from the FEC website under Coordinated Party Expenditures.
An argument could be made that if RFK Jr. was on the ballot as a Libertarian, even in a single state, the party could legally coordinate a joint fundraising committee with RFK Jr. Despite RFK Jr. not being listed on the ballot in any state as a Libertarian candidate, the party went forward with a joint fundraising committee.
It is outside of the scope of this brief and my expertise to discuss the legality of the Kennedy joint fundraising committee.
McArdle Financial Conflicts of Interest
Chair Angela McArdle has personally benefited from her lobbying the LNC to establish the Kennedy Victory Fund joint fundraising committee. These contributions were not disclosed to the Libertarian National Committee and no financial accounting has been released to the LNC or the Libertarian Party delegates and members.
Party members asking questions of the financial conflicts of interest on the livestream of the last LNC meeting were ignored and ridiculed by members of the LNC and had their comments deleted.
Source: ThirdPartyWatch.com
The Facts:
Chair McArdle has set up two new organizations in 2024 that profit off the Libertarian Party’s joint fundraising agreement with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Libertarian Unity PAC received $19,700 from the Kennedy Victory Fund *Note: Much of this money may need to be disbursed back to the LNC based on the fundraising agreement
Rescue The West, INC received $25,000 from the Kennedy Victory Fund sent to McArdle’s personal address according to FEC reports
McArdle has also benefited from the association with Kennedy
A total of $795,700 has flowed from Kennedy based organizations back to McArdle organizations
On September 23, the Libertarian Party official e-mail list was used to send out an email with a fundraising link sent directly to Rescue the West, INC.
As of December 10, Rescue the West, INC has raised $456,124 additional dollars from the GiveSendGo website
Unprofessional Behavior Examples Towards Kennedy Opposition
Adrian Malagon
Adrian Malagon had a conflict of interest when Chairing the committee to investigate Secretary Harlos.
The Facts:
Malagon is currently an alternate to the national committee
If Malagon were to lose his position as California Chair at the California convention in February, he runs the risk of losing his LNC alternate spot
Malagon motioned to remove Secretary Harlos from being present for the discussion for her removal
Malagon has been named acting secretary since the suspension of Secretary Harlos
Malagon was overheard by Secretary Harlos joking with other LNC members about Harlos being called her “predecessor” in referring to the proposed policy manual change which would give the LNC the ability to remove any member for any reason they deem necessary
Additionally, Malagon has engaged in abhorrent behavior targeting the person he was tasked with investigating.
In the past, Malagon has retaliated against female committee and party members who opposed him by attacking their weight.
Malagon also targeted the former Libertarian Party Treasurer, Todd Hagopian.
Pat Ford
Pat Ford was placed on the committee to investigate Secretary Harlos. Pat Ford has not disclosed to the board that his organization, Libertarian Mutual Aid PAC, is financially benefiting from the Kennedy joint fundraising committee.
Conclusion
Opponents to Kennedy backed agreements have faced fierce retaliation from members of the Libertarian National Committee including those members with an undisclosed conflicting financial interest in these agreements. Secretary Harlos should be restored to her position in which she was elected by the delegates to serve in.
Financial Sources
The LNC's Investigatory Committee's final report of October 6th, 2024, gives a very different impression about what occurred in Colorado in regards to the electoral filings.