LPDE Members Demand Recognition of Duly Elected Board

Due to the recent events that have transpired in Delaware beginning on October 1, 2021, as members of both the Libertarian Party of Delaware (LPDE) and of the national Libertarian Party, we have formed this petition calling for the LNC to take direct and swift action to protect our rights as a State Affiliate and, even more importantly, as national LP Members. As a result of a handful of people attempting to co-opt the party, our rights and voices as members of LPDE and of the national LP have been cast aside through wildly unprincipled actions. We have grave reservations as to how we can continue to remain members of the national Libertarian Party if it cannot stand up against these egregious actions by upholding its claim to be "the party of principle."
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We, the Libertarians in Delaware, having been registered to vote as Libertarian with the State of Delaware Department of Elections and registered members with the National LP are asking the Libertarian National Committee to recognize that Bill Hinds is the rightful and duly elected Chair of the LPDE, Amy LePore is the rightful and duly elected Vice-Chair of the LPDE, Dave Casey is one of the two duly elected LP of New Castle County representatives on the LPDE state board, and Dylan Griffith is the second duly elected LP of New Castle County representative on the LPDE state board. These LPDE board members were duly elected to those positions by the delegates present at the LPDE Convention in June 2021 and we request that you recognize them accordingly.

Although we reject that our request is one for intervention, some LNC members insist it is, and are using that as an excuse to avoid making a difficult decision. We have heard from several LNC members that disaffiliation is the preferred stance to take on the situation in Delaware, to avoid the appearance of intervening in a dispute. It is important to remember, though, that even disaffiliation will require the LNC to recognize an affiliate eventually, leaving us wondering, "What good are affiliate agreements if the LNC is unwilling to recognize its affiliates?" However, should the outcome of this unfortunate situation be disaffiliation, you have the complete and unfettered commitment from the signers of this petition - Libertarians in Delaware - to reaffiliate in a professional and organized fashion.

The importance of recognizing the legitimate, duly elected board is critical so that the LPDE delegates can carry out a proper investigation and, if necessary, the proper disciplinary process. By ignoring our request, the LNC would be overriding the will of the LPDE delegates twice: by refusing to recognize the duly elected board and in doing so, also refusing to recognize the investigations called for by the LPDE delegates. That is a far more top-down, invasive, and authoritarian approach to this situation than simply recognizing the duly elected LPDE board as is being requested by the lowest level in the LP structure – the individual Libertarians.

We wholeheartedly reject that we are asking for intervention but rather are asking for the LNC's affirmation of the LPDE affiliate led by the duly elected board, given the threats we face from hostile actors who are attempting to disenfranchise us. We understand this request to be reasonable and within the scope of the LP bylaws, because similar recognition was provided in a letter by the LNC to the LPDE in 2018. We urge you to represent the party of principle by recognizing and affirming the duly elected board of LPDE and respecting the outcome of any investigations and disciplinary measures taken by the Libertarians in Delaware.