In April 2022, Ray Ihly et. al., filed a VERIFIED COMPLAINT that the Chairman of the Pima County Republican Party did not have the authority to organize the newly-districted Legislative Districts in Pima County following the redistricting. Listen to the video below to hear Chairwoman Kelli Ward direct Chairman Kais to organize JUST THE PCs WITHIN PIMA.
Mr. Ihly, et. al. also filed a Temporary Restraining Order against Chairman Kais. The Application for the TRO was denied and the Precinct Committeemen in Legislative District 19 Pima were authorized by Court Order to organize an LD 19 organization independent of the other five counties.
Lawsuit
Ihly et.al. versus Kais, Chairman of Pima Republican Party
Court Minute April 2022 – Denial of Request
The following paragraph was in the Republican Briefs. Chairman Ihly led his five-county group to censure, with no cause, against the Precinct Committeemen who under the direction of Chairwoman Kelli Ward organized the Pima County PCs in the Pima County portion of LD 19. Remember, the Judge said they had the right to organize.
“LD 19 Chairman Ray Ihly has verified reports that the LD19 Executive Board unanimously censured six precinct committeemen during their June 11 meeting. See (1) censorship of LD19 PC Kaylee Nix and (2) censorship of LD19 Precinct 84 PCs Shelley Kais, Darren Venters, Sergio Arellano, John Backer, Barbara Ware, below – ft“
Chairman Shelley Kais did not run for re-election. On January 7, 2023 Dave Smith was elected Chairman. In early January during a transition call, newly-elected Chairman Smith said he “already had the lawsuit taken care of”. In March of 2023, Mr. Ihly and Chairman Smith signed a Settlement Agreement. Chairman Smith agreed with Mr. Ihly, et. al., that LD 19 was a five-county organization. Subsequently, the Judge dismissed the lawsuit based on the fact that he believed the parties had agreed.
It’s not over yet. This is yet to be settled, as Shelley Kais was never removed from the lawsuit. Shelley Kais filed a Motion to Strike and Motion to Clarify/Amend linked below.
Motion to Strike and Motion to Clarify/Amend
Response to Motion to Strike and Motion to Clarify/Amend
Reply in Support of Motion to Clarify/Amend
It’s All About the State Committeemen
Kais Request to AZRP Chairwoman Ward
AZRP Chairwoman Ward’s Response
If power and control are your motives, then you must be in a position to have the power. This lawfare/lawsuit came down to who would be the State Committeemen–the power brokers of the Arizona Republican Party. While the lawsuit was making its way through the judicial system, the five-county (part of Pima, part of Santa Cruz, Cochise, Graham and Greenlee) group formed in defiance of Chairwoman Ward and elected a slate of State Committeemen. The Pima LD 19 group of PCs also organized and elected State Committeemen. So who would be the State Committeemen from Pima County? These are the names of the State Committeemen that Chairman Shelley Kais submitted to the Arizona Republican Party on December 18, 2022.
Pima County State Committeemen 2023-24
LD 16
LD 17
LD 18
LD 19
LD 20
LD 21
AZRP Executive Director Kirby Response: Director Kirby’s acknowledgement of receipt of State Committeemen
AZRP Chairman Ward Directive to Chair Dave Smith Pima
As you can see from Chairwoman Ward’s direction to newly-elected Chair Smith, she did not recognize the PCs elected in the five-county organization, nor did she recognize the five-county organization as indicated in her salutation to “group leader Cheryl” the elected Chair of the five-county group.
Just Keep Saying You Won
Ray Ihly published on Facebook and the Republican Briefs that the “Pima County Superior Court has ruled….” The Judge did not rule on the merits of the case and that is the purpose of the Motion to Strike and Motion to Clarify/Amend. Christine Bauserman also wrote her opinion for the Republican Briefs twice.
Bauserman Statements:
April 26, 2023
CHRISTINE BAUSERMANN: LDs are Sovereign in AZ !!! The settlement states: LD’s can organize, LDs are independent of the Counties, LDs can form themselves and create their own bylaws, LDs elect State Committeeman. The Pima County Superior Court, in the case Rafael ‘Ray’ Ihly (former AZGOP 2nd vice) vs Shelley Kais as Chair of Pima County Rep Committee, has ruled on the side of LD19. (4). ‘the duly formed District .. is independent of any County-level Party organization, and [County] has no statutory or other authority to interfere in the affairs of District …’ (5). “District .. is an independent and sovereign organization, subject to its own governance, as the Precinct Committeemen of same shall determine through the Bylaws and rules of governance for District … “.
Ray Ihly’s Comments
