President Trump has called the DC political machine “the swamp.” If DC is the swamp (and it is), the political machine in Cumberland County PA is the cesspool.
The Cumberland County Republican Committee is unraveling. The secret is coming out of the closet and chairman, Lou Capozzi’s, closet doors aren’t staying shut anymore. Did you think that this group was working for the constituents? Then you were fooled like everyone else. Mr. Capozzi and his minions operate like a little mafia within the GOP. If you don’t agree with him, he will come after you and bring disingenuous law figures along. Capozzi and his minions (I’m going to keep using that term because I like it so much and every time I write ”minions”, I see those little yellow guys running around doing the bidding of the evil overlord and it makes me smile). But I digress…it seems that Capozzi and his minions (I can’t help myself) seem to believe he/they knows what is best for every person and will rule with an iron fist.
July 22nd is that day – and Lou Capozzi has assembled his kangaroo court. Under the guise of a disciplinary hearing, he and his cronies are attempting to take formal action to remove Republican committee members who were ELECTED BY VOTERS. Their crime? They did not express undying loyalty and support endorsed primary candidates. However, the primary is a big field and there is nothing within party bylaws that says you have to commit your firstborn during the primary, only the general election (second born is questionable). When you consider that the crowded field of primary election candidates for Cumberland County Commissioner included two incumbent commissioners and numerous others who had previously won regional and countywide elections, you understand that they all had followings of supporters, friends and those willing to help them during their campaigns. If they didn’t, they would not have established campaigns in the first place! So it is highly unlikely those candidates and supporters would say “Oh No! Not enough people in that little room raised their hand to endorse us, so we’ll quit.” And thankfully – in the good interest of freedom loving people everywhere – that did not happen, and the primary election proceeded with candidate choices for Republican voters.
It does not stop there; the witch hunt goes further. Jessica Silcox is the regional director for Silver Spring Township in Cumberland Valley and ran for schoolboard against the outsider, Kelly Potteiger. In the primary election, Potteiger actually won the primary election, as determined by Republican voters, to secure her place on the ballot in the general election. Without any credible evidence and through the encouragement of the losing candidate, Silcox, the minions accused Silcox’s opponent, Kelly Potteiger, of campaigning for an unendorsed candidate. Interestingly enough, another person came forward (not a committee person) admitting to leaving a bag of literature including palm cards of unendorsed and endorsed candidates. So much for the “evidence.”
Clearly, there is a first amendment right and civic duty that allows any person to communicate about candidates before the primary election and anytime thereafter. Yet, the minions seem very concerned about that freedom of communication as allowed by the Constitution of the United States vs. the presented evidence that had absolutely no basis in fact! And when Republican committee people were presented with the true facts of the situation, there was an expression, from at least one elected official, of outrage at being contacted with the truth vs. dismay with the initial presentation of unfounded “evidence.” What is the end game of this GOP faction? This seems to be more of an attempt at a smear campaign to take out an opponent than getting to the truth of the matter. And this isn’t the first time. Similar tactics were used against judicial candidate, Joshua Prince.
On September 18th, 2021, there was an attempt to make revisions to the bylaws of the Cumberland County Republican Committee. In this attempt, with a 58.6% “no” vote, question 13 “adding grounds for removal of committee members” that increased power for the country chair failed. This has failed three consecutive years. Apparently, even with that vote (multiple times), Capozzi feels he is above the republican members who voted these officials into place.
Furthermore, these people at the top have violated their own rules. In an extreme hypocritical move, when Mastriano won the primary gubernatorial candidacy, many within the Cumberland County GOP machine made every effort to withhold support, not endorse and/or help the constituent chosen candidate… and that seems to be a bigger violation and breach of trust with Republican committee people and voters than the current primary endorsement/support violation. I am curious where the disciplinary hearings were held and the outcomes therewith in those situations. Anyone…???
Bottom line, the goal of leadership is to take out any person who does not agree with them. Let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water. We don’t need a new county or state GOP, we just need the cronies gone so that “We the People” can finally speak. It is time for the Republican leadership to suck it, stand up and recognize that they are leading the party down a dark road that people are no longer following. The cesspool is a murky, sticky, slimy place to be. Hopefully, and for the sake of the Republican party in Cumberland County, someone dares to initiate the swim to clean water and others follow.
Harrisburg100 