Chris McDaniel says @MSGOP ‘prohibited from recognizing’ Cochran as nominee #MSSen

RNC Rules Prohibit Cochran as Nominee

Laurel, MS – Republican Chris McDaniel’s legal team announced today that the Mississippi Republican Party is prohibited from recognizing Thad Cochran as their nominee for U.S. Senate in accordance with the rules of the Republican National Committee (RNC). The state party is bound by the rules adopted by the RNC at their 2012 National Convention in Tampa Florida.

“Thad Cochran’s acceptance of the nomination requires him to accept the 30,000 to 40,000 Democrat votes he received on June 24th,” Mitch Tyner said, “Accepting the nomination under such circumstances clearly disqualifies Sen. Cochran from eligibility as the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate from the Mississippi,” he concluded.

Rule 11(b) states:
“No state Republican Party rule or state law shall be observed that allows persons who have participated or are participating in the selection of any nominee of a party other than the Republican Party, including, but not limited to, through the use of a multiparty primary or similar type ballot, to participate in the selection of a nominee of the Republican Party for that general election. No person nominated in violation of this rule shall be recognized by the Republican National Committee as the nominee of the Republican Party from that state.”

Thad Cochran lost Republican votes in the runoff and made up the difference with Democrat votes. Senator Cochran himself announced and executed his plan in complete dereliction of the rules adopted by the Republican National Committee. Henry Barbour, who ran the pro-Cochran super PAC largely responsible for the strategy, served on the RNC at the time these rules were instituted to prevent party raiding. Barbour’s PAC and Cochran’s campaign paid for the incendiary radio ads that specifically targeted Democrats to cast a one-time vote in the Republican primary for Thad Cochran without any regard for the rules Barbour helped pass in 2012.

7/31/14