Ron Paul supporter has fingers broken at contested Louisiana GOP convention
http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/def...8678f3b8e4.JPGAngel Clark
Wilmington Elections 2012 Examiner
June 2, 2012
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Alex Helwig before his fingers are broken / Photo credit: Youtube
Louisiana's Republican convention in Shreveport on Saturday resulted in unexpected assaults and arrests, including one man who had his fingers broken. Many were expecting disagreements over the choice of delegates, especially after the state party's executive committee issued 16 pages of new rules before the convention, but it's doubtful that many guessed the severity of the disagreements. The Ron Paul campaign team explained the conflicts in detail.
According to Ron Paul and his campaign staff, 113 of the 180 delegates voted to remove the sitting GOP chairman when he refused to respond to requests for information. The 113 delegates than physically moved their chairs away from the "establishment GOP" and started their own convention. The nearly two-thirds of the delegates began their convention, and that's when the mayhem broke out. Security officials, unaware of the newly formed convention, attacked Henry Herford Jr. His prosthetic hip was dislocated and may have to be replaced. Alex Helwig, chairman of the Rules Committee, was arrested after he made a motion to remove the Republican chair. The Shreveport police released him later; however, some of his fingers were broken during his detainment. Video of Helwig being arrested and assaulted has been circulating the internet and has drawn outrage from Ron Paul supporters. Helwig returned to the Louisiana convention later, walking with the aid of a cane. Many are curious about what happened during his detainment.
The rest of the convention apparently went on with little issues as a newly formed convention finished its work. Romney's Louisiana campaign chair, Scott Sewell, claimed he would do everything he could to make sure the delegation was seated in Tampa.
The Louisiana Republican Party chair sent out an email after the convention was over. According to Jason Doré, the Louisiana Republican Party does not recognize the Ron Paul delegates. Louisiana receives 46 votes at the national convention. Thirty were elected on Saturday. Three are automatic delegates. No one was nominated for the final thirteen positions, which were left vacant and may now be filled by the state party’s Executive Committee. The positions were left open by a majority of the delegates participating in the convention in order to facilitate talks with Ron Paul supporters who refused to participate in the convention in order to protest state party rules requiring presidential candidates to approve delegates allocated to them.
According to a witness at the convention, after Alex Helwig, the newly elected chair, was arrested, another chairperson was elected and the convention continued and finished all business, including electing national delegates. Ron Paul supporters are filing a civil rights abuse lawsuit against the GOP.
Only time will tell which delegates are seated in Tampa at the Republican National Convention. It is becoming more and more apparent that Ron Paul supporters will not vote for any other candidate. Many Ron Paul supporters claim they will write Ron Paul in rather than vote for Mitt Romney.
Ron Paul supporter has fingers broken at contested Louisiana GOP convention - Wilmington Elections 2012 | Examiner.com