A Republican Party election in Warren County, Virginia, has been overturned following allegations of irregularities in the voting process and membership procedures.

The Warren County Republican Committee held a mass meeting on February 12 to elect leadership and reset membership rolls. The event drew over 400 attendees, a record number, and has since become the subject of an appeal challenging the validity of the results.

What Happened

Scott Lloyd, a former Trump administration official who ran for chairman of the Warren County Republican Committee, filed an appeal after losing to David Silek, a local attorney. Lloyd’s appeal packet included affidavits from several attendees describing voting irregularities during the February 12 meeting at the Front Royal Volunteer Fire Department.

According to the appeal documentation, some individuals reported receiving ballots despite not being registered committee members, while others claimed they were prevented from entering the venue to vote. The meeting also resulted in a dramatic reduction of committee membership from 251 members to 102 members.

Additional concerns raised in the appeal included a lack of notification about voting cutoff times and questions surrounding how membership applications were processed. George Cline, the husband of Sheriff Crystal Cline, acknowledged in a Facebook comment that he turned away at least nine individuals from the meeting.

The Process Moving Forward

The appeal hearing drew about two dozen members of Virginia’s Sixth District Republican Committee to a Tuesday night gathering in Fisherville to hear arguments. If Silek files a counter-appeal within 30 days, the matter will be reviewed by a special committee of five members from the Republican Party of Virginia.

The review committee will include two members selected by Lloyd, two selected by Silek, and one chosen jointly by both parties, according to the Republican Party of Virginia’s procedures. None of the committee members can be from the Sixth District.