The following report is a timeline of the circumstances surrounding the SCGOP's actions to suspend (dissolve) the Pickens County Republican Party. SCGOP Rule 16 requires a 75% vote for dissolution, but the state ignored the rule and used a majority vote. The following timeline details the events leading to that vote.  Julie Baker was an eyewitness to each step, as precinct president, state convention delegate, and Third Congressional District chair. 

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Summary of Pickens County Republican Party (PCRP) Controversy

The Pickens County Republican Party (PCRP) issues started with objections raised by a third place finisher in the chairman’s race at the county convention in April.

(This objection was first heard about by the PCRP on the Wednesday before the May 3 state convention.)

It was alleged that 21 delegate forms were improperly rejected, some attendees were turned away (e.g. a former chairman’s son), and the venue, chosen by former chairman Bob Fetterly, was too small, limiting delegate participation to 400.  They also accused Bob of actively suppressing delegate recruitment. 

PCRP leadership countered that no valid forms were rejected, late or photocopied forms were disallowed per the chairman’s discretion and as per state GOP direction, and the venue size was sufficient, as only 339 delegates registered and 287 attended, well below the 400-person capacity.

Historically, Pickens has never exceeded 400 delegates.   No one with a valid form 1 was turned away from convention…and no one was turned away from reorg. 

Our former Chairman, Bob Fetterly, who oversaw the PCRP reorg and convention, gives an excellent rebuttal to the accusations on rumble.

The state GOP credentialing committee, without allowing PCRP to hear all the accusations  against them or present full evidence, and with no questions allowed, voted against seating Pickens’ delegates at the May 3, 2025, State Convention.  

So, as a result, none of the duly elected Pickens County delegates, of which I am one, were seated. 

On June 7, 2025, at the State Executive Committee (EC) meeting, a motion and amendment were passed to “suspend” PCRP’s operations, stripping its ability to use the logo, website, and other assets until at least September.  

This action, which bypassed the 75% EC vote required for dissolution under Rule 16, sets a dangerous precedent for state GOP interference in county parties. 

If this stands, any county that steps out of line as far as the SCGOP is concerned can be dissolved with a simple majority vote.  Again, a clear violation of the state GOP’s own rules.

Current PCRP leadership has asserted that throughout this whole process they were:

• denied due process and were not permitted to listen to or question their accusers,

• accusations shifted and changed every time they were raised

• no actual evidence was presented, but lots of hearsay

• rules were applied inconsistently – what I call unequal weights and measures – as with regard to requiring counties to have a venue that could accommodate all potential delegates – at least 7 other counties that we know of didn’t meet this requirement either.

This suspension can only be seen for what it is - election interference, and the disenfranchisement of duly elected delegates and officers. 

The tyrannical power of the state GOP was on full display against the less powerful with the only goal being assurance of the maintenance of political power by the state GOP chairman.

This cannot stand.

Julie Baker

First Vice Chair, SCRA

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