State Republican Party executive director fired
State Republican Party executive director Jeff Hartley was fired Tuesday by party chairwoman Enid Greene, even though she has only six weeks until her term as chair runs out. "I wanted to clean the decks, make a new start" for the new chairperson, whoever that may be, Greene said Tuesday. "This is about money — he was and had been spending far too much money," said Greene. Hartley said: "This is a personal, petty, mean, vindictive act by someone who has a reputation for doing such things." Hartley said he has a wife and children to support, and Greene fires him with only six weeks until she leaves. Hartley said he'd talked to several top GOP officeholders Tuesday, and they all ensured him that they would push whoever the new party chair is to reinstate him. "I was told to just ride it out and (party leaders) say they will make sure I'm back in," said Hartley. Greene said she had expressed her concerns to Hartley several times about state party finances since taking over for former party chair Joe Cannon last November. Cannon resigned as chair knowing he would soon be named editor of the Morning News. Greene was then-vice chair of the party, and party leaders named her to fill out Cannon's term.
I was told (in November) that the party was $180,000 in debt," said Greene. It is not uncommon for a political party to end a campaign season with some debt. "But come February, suddenly it jumped to double that," said Greene. She added her actions were not personal, "but I had to do what is best for the party." Hartley agreed that party debt grew. "That's because we didn't have all of the invoices" in November for work done on behalf of GOP candidates.
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