August 30, 2022

To: PCRCC Members

We hereby notify the entire eligible membership of the PCRCC that we are exercising our right via PCRCC Bylaws, Article 5, Section D, Paragraphs 1-4 to formally request the sitting PCRCC Chair, Debra Elsner, be removed from her position.

Accompanying our request to remove the PCRCC Chair are signatures of over 1/3 of the entire PCRCC membership supporting this action, as per PCRCC Bylaws.  See Attachment A below.

By this Notice we are required to notify, in writing, all members of the entire PCRCC fifteen (15) days

prior to the next regular PCRCC meeting. All Notices will be sent via email or hard copy letter in accordance with approved communication methods per the Bylaws. 

The sitting PCRCC Chair, Debra Elsner, has earned a “vote of no confidence” as a lead representative of the Republican Party in Park County.  Per PCRCC Bylaws, Article 5, Section B, paragraph 1.c, the duty of the Chair shall be to “Observe and enforce the bylaws and rules of the PCRCC”.   Also, PCRCC Bylaw, Article 2, paragraph 1-4 states:

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

The principal purposes and objectives of PCRCC shall be:

• To perform the functions of a county party central committee as set forth in the election laws of the State of Colorado and the rules and bylaws of the Colorado Republican State Central Committee; to elect duly nominated or designated Republican candidates to office and to have such purposes and objectives not otherwise prohibited by the laws of the United States, the State of Colorado, and the bylaws and rules of the Colorado Republican State Central Committee.
• To promote the principles and achieve the objectives of the Republican Party at county, national and state levels as set forth in the platforms adopted by the County Assembly, State and National Conventions.
• To support elected national, state and county Republican officials.
• To cooperate, promote and support the County, State and National Party.

It has come to the attention of the PCRCC membership that the sitting PCRCC Chair has publicly and actively campaigned for the Democrat Candidate, Ashley Girodo, who is running against the Republican Candidate, Dave Wissel, for County Commissioner in District 3. 

The following examples highlight the Chair’s dereliction of duty:

1. The PCRCC Chair actively supports and campaigns for the Democrat Candidate by posting Ashley Girodo’s campaign material on her Facebook site. When members of the public, Republican or Democrat, are invited to join the Chairs Facebook site it becomes public material. See Attachment B below.

1. On August 15^th, 2022, Deb and Dick Elsner attended the Park County Livestock Committee meeting. At the conclusion of the meeting, they displayed campaign literature for Democrat Candidate Ashley Girodo and encouraged those attending to take Ashley’s campaign brochure, stating “we need to do what’s best for Park County”. See written testimony of attendee XXXXXXXX, in Attachment C below.

It is a further dereliction of duty according to the PCRCC Bylaws, Article 3, Section B to endorse, support or oppose a Republican Candidate before the Primary Election:

Section B. Pre-Primary Neutrality

No candidate for any designation or nomination for any Elective Office of this County shall be endorsed, supported or opposed by the County Central Committee acting as an entity or by its officers or committees acting as officers or committees before the Primary Election unless such candidate is unopposed in the Primary Election.

1. Prior to the Primary Election of 2022:
   1. The PCRCC Chair emailed positive Candidate literature to members of the PCRCC for candidates: Erik Aadland (3/9/22, 3/13/22), Tim Reichert (3/24/22), David Buckley (4/6/22, 4/7/22) and Joe O’Dea (4/19/22, 6/4/22).
   2. The PCRCC Chair emailed negative candidate literature to members of the PCRCC for candidates: Tina Peters (6/24/22) and Joe O’Dea literature smearing Ron Hanks (6/4/22).

• The PCRCC Chair endorsed and supported candidates by displaying campaign banners for candidates Ray Douglas, Joe O’Dea and Milena Kassel on the exterior fence of her home weeks before the Primary Election. See Attachment D below.

Our local Republican Party deserves a PCRCC Chair who will privately and publicly support and endorse our elected Republican Candidates and not actively campaign for the opposing Democrat Candidates. The County Commissioner seat is a critical position in Park County and if it goes to a Democrat, with the support and endorsement of Debra Elsner, the PCRCC Chair, and County Commissioner Dick Elsner, it will dramatically move our County away from the Conservative values we hold dear.  

To avoid further harm to the Republicans of Park County, we call for Debra Elsner’s voluntary resignation as PCRCC Chair to be sent in writing to the entire PCRCC membership by Tuesday, September 6^th, 2022.  If Debra Elsner refuses to voluntarily resign as PCRCC Chair, the process to remove her per PCRCC Bylaws will proceed.

As per the PCRCC Bylaws, Article 5, Section D, paragraph 3, all reasons for the request to remove the PCRCC Chair will be aired at the next scheduled PCRCC meeting on Wednesday, September 14^th. The PCRCC Chair will have the opportunity to speak for as long as she deems necessary.  Upon completion of the Chairs comments, a vote by ballot will be taken.  This letter also serves as a request to add this Notice and subsequent vote to remove Debra Elsner, as the PCRCC Chair, to the PCRCC agenda on Wednesday, September 14^th, 2022.

Yours Respectfully,

Concerned Republican PCRCC Members

Attachment A:  List of 1/3 + of PCRCC Members supporting the removal of Debra Elsner as PCRCC Chair.

Petition 1:

(Five valid sigantures)

 Petition 2:

(Eight valid signatures)

Attachment B:  Debra Elsner’s Facebook post on July 23^rd, 2022, campaigning for Democrat, Ashley Girodo, running for County Commissioner District 3.

Attachment C:  Xxxxxxxx Xxxx account of Debra and Dick Elsner campaigning for Democrat, Ashley Girodo, for County Commissioner District 3 at the Livestock Committee meeting on August 15^th, 2022.

From:   Xxxxxxxx Xxxx
Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2022 1:19 PM
To: Amy Mitchell Xxxxxxxx Xxxx
Subject: livestock committee meeting

Below is my recollection of what transpired at the Aug 15, 2022 meeting of the Park County Livestock committee meeting held at the Shawnee community center.     

When the committee chair adjourned the meeting,  I got up to leave and noticed that their were fliers for Ashley Girodo,  running for Park County Commissioner. The fliers were on a table in front of Dick and Deb Elsner.    When I walked by they asked me to take a flier, and I said no.    Dick said we need to do what's best for Park County.     I left after that.

Xxxxxxxx Xxxx 

Attachment D:  Xxxxxxxx Xxxx account of Deb Elsner campaigning for specific Republican Candidate’s

prior to the Primary Election of 2022.

I am a neighbor of the Elsners, and took pictures June 15,

2022, of signs on their fence at the corner of  Xxxxxxxx Xxxx and Xxxxxxxx Xxxx ,

supporting Republican primary candidates as shown in the pics below. The signs

had been posted on the fence on June 14th. 

 Xxxxxxxx Xxxx