Congratulations are in order for Marvin Jones and members of the
coffee club known as the San Benito County Militia for standing up
to the false accusations of threats and intimidation made by
Republican Central Committee Chairwoman Jennifer Zapata. Chair
Zapata withdrew her two requests for restraining orders, which were
full of paranoiac fluff. She had offered to drop them last week,
stating through her Monterey attorney that
”
since they have stopped with the phone calls and e-mails
”
she would withdraw the suits with the condition that the two
accused parties drop their SLAPP suits.
Editor,
Congratulations are in order for Marvin Jones and members of the coffee club known as the San Benito County Militia for standing up to the false accusations of threats and intimidation made by Republican Central Committee Chairwoman Jennifer Zapata. Chair Zapata withdrew her two requests for restraining orders, which were full of paranoiac fluff. She had offered to drop them last week, stating through her Monterey attorney that “since they have stopped with the phone calls and e-mails” she would withdraw the suits with the condition that the two accused parties drop their SLAPP suits.
This was unacceptable to Jones and the Militia because they had never made phone calls or e-mails in the first place. Only after the SLAPP suits were made did Chair Zapata offer to withdraw. The SLAPPs could have cost her financially, and when that fact came to light, she suddenly offered to withdraw. Bill Marder and George Barton did an excellent job of representing Jones and the Militia respectively, and achieved the goal of having her withdraw without any conditions.
Now the Chair’s behavior will be evaluated by the California Republican Party. The CRP bylaws clearly indicate that one member is not to bring legal action towards another. Dr. Jones has withdrawn pending litigation against Chair Zapata in order to be in compliance with the CRP bylaws. But she continues to have pending litigation against him.
Hopefully, the CRP makes her accountable for all the damage she has caused to local Republicans. Chair Zapata should resign, but she thinks she is above the rules. Let’s see if she continues to be out of compliance with the CRP, and maybe she’ll get herself kicked out. Now that would be in the best interest of the party!
Rebecca Jones, Hollister
