Judge Issues Emergency Restraining Order Blocking Unauthorized Loyalty Requirement
Carlisle, Pennsylvania — June 24, 2026 Senior Judge Maria Musti Cook of York County, called in to hear the case after every Cumberland County judge recused due to their relationships with the defendant, granted an Emergency Temporary Restraining Order against Cumberland County Republican Committee (CCRC) Chairman Louis J. Capozzi, Jr. The Court found that Capozzi’s attempt to impose a private loyalty document on duly elected committee members had no basis in the organization’s governing Bylaws.
The Order, issued the day before CCRC’s scheduled June 25, 2026 Reorganization Meeting, prohibits Capozzi, the Committee, and anyone acting on their behalf from enforcing, threatening, or relying upon the unauthorized “Committee Acknowledgement of the CCRC Bylaws” form as a condition of membership, meeting attendance, or voting rights — at Thursday’s meeting and at any future CCRC meeting. The Court further ordered that the Chairman election cannot proceed on any membership roll from which duly elected members have been improperly excluded.
What Happened
Beginning June 9, 2026, Chairman Capozzi distributed written demands to duly elected committee persons requiring them to sign a private “Acknowledgement” document as a condition of participating in the June 25 Reorganization Meeting at which the Committee elects its new County Chairman. The June 9 letter explicitly stated: “If the Acknowledgement form is not signed and emailed back to the CCRC, you will not be admitted to the election proceedings or allowed to vote.” A revised letter dated June 12, 2026 conditioned “voting privileges” on signing the same form.
Neither the Acknowledgement Form nor any comparable requirement appears anywhere in the CCRC’s governing Bylaws. The form threatened “disciplinary action up to and including removal” for Bylaw violations, despite the fact that the full CCRC membership specifically voted in 2021 to reject any removal authority over elected committee members, with that measure failing to receive the required two-thirds approval.
Nine duly elected committee persons, representing precincts across Cumberland County, filed suit on June 16, 2026, and sought emergency relief before the June 25 meeting could proceed under the illegal conditions imposed by the Chairman.
The Controlling Legal Precedent
Today’s ruling is directly supported by Casper v. Bucks County Republican Committee, a 2025 Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court decision that became final on June 2, 2026. Casper establishes clearly that county Republican committees are bound by their filed Bylaws, that courts have full authority to review and remedy violations of those Bylaws, and that actions taken by committee leadership outside the scope of those Bylaws are legal nullities.
The significance of today’s ruling extends beyond the June 25 meeting. The Court’s Order is broad: it bars the unauthorized requirement at any future CCRC meeting, and explicitly prohibits “any similar extra-by-law document”, ensuring that simply renaming the form cannot restart the scheme. The Order remains in effect until further Order of Court, pending a full hearing on the Plaintiffs’ Application for Preliminary Injunction and the underlying five-count Verified Complaint.
What This Means for CCRC Members
The nine Plaintiffs, all pro se, without outside legal counsel, brought this action to protect the democratic integrity of the CCRC’s membership. Their position throughout was straightforward: they do not dispute the Bylaws, they are not above the Bylaws, and they support the Bylaws being followed by everyone, including the Chairman.
Today’s Order protects not only the nine Plaintiffs but every duly elected CCRC committee person going forward. The Court’s ruling that the Chairman election cannot be conducted on an improperly constituted membership roll also ensures the integrity of today’s Reorganization Meeting itself.
About the Plaintiffs
The nine Plaintiffs are duly elected Republican Committee Persons representing precincts across Cumberland County, having been elected by Republican voters at the May 19, 2026
Primary Election and certified by the Cumberland County Bureau of Elections on June 2, 2026:
Kelly Irene Potteiger (Silver Spring 3), Anita Burton (Camp Hill 2), Michael W. Zarcone (East Pennsboro 7), Christine L. Young (Camp Hill 5), Daryl L. Young (Camp Hill 5), Leslie L. Rhoades (Dickinson South), Laura Mackey (Lower Mifflin), Charlotte E. McDonald (Lower Frankford), and Randall Barrick (West Pennsboro Lower).
Those wishing to support this case and help contribute to the legal fees can send a donation to this GiveSendGo campaign:
https://www.givesendgo.com/hold-our-local-party-accountable?utm_source=pr
Case Information
Potteiger, et al. v. Capozzi & Cumberland County Republican Committee
Court of Common Pleas of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania — Civil Division
Docket No. 2026-06889-2
Order issued by: Sr. Judge Maria Musti Cook, June 24, 2026
Harrisburg100 
time to vote capozzi out. He has been riding roughshod over the committee for a long time. He also was incharge last November when a blue wave hit normally red areas in cumberland.
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Almost a full week prior to the ruling Chairman Capozzi went against the Board’s decision and rescinded the signature requirement. So it’s a hollow victory that only helps Dems.
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Chairman Capozzi was term limited, and last night at the normally scheduled once every 4 years election meeting, a new Chairman was voted in by an overwhelming majority of Republican Committee Members.
Perhaps you should report on the wonderful alignment of the Party towards electing our candidates in November.
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