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GOP Infighting Targeting Longtime Party Official Mark Shaw

Numerous Illinois GOP officials have called on party Vice Chair Mark Shaw to resign over an accused delegate scandal at last month’s Illinois GOP state convention.

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The Chairman of the Lake County Republican Party is calling on his rival, Illinois GOP Vice Chair and State Central Committeeman Mark Shaw to resign.

In a letter sent to 102 GOP county chairs Monday, Lake County GOP Chairman Keith Brin called on Shaw to resign after violating party rules at May’s Illinois GOP State Convention by voting as a delegate even though he wasn’t appointed one, appointing fake delegates, and for challenging another central committee member to a fight after losing a contentious race for RNC National Committeeman.

“Mark Shaw, the ringleader of the faux delegates, and the 10th State Central Committeeman, the Party Vice Chair, the Chair of many committees at the State Convention, and who knows what else, claimed he thought he was a delegate,” Brin wrote. “He was explicitly told that he was not a delegate about a month before the convention. All of this is only made worse because Mark was a County Chair himself and knows how this all works. So, when he checked in and asked for a “delegate” badge, and apparently was handed one, he naturally said he thought he was a delegate. There was even an eyewitness report of him asking for multiple badges to give to others who he claimed were also delegates.”

Brin defeated Shaw for Lake County GOP Chair and Shaw attempted to take Brin out earlier this year.

Brin also criticized Illinois GOP Chairman Don Tracy for failing to act on Shaw’s alleged actions.

Tracy has reportedly asked Shaw to step down as Vice Chair of the state party, but Brin said it did not go far enough.

We’re told state central committeemen are organizing votes to remove Shaw as Vice Chair next week, but the committee does not have the ability to remove an elected state central committeeman, even if they move out of state.

Shaw did not respond to a message from The Illinoize Monday.

Patrick Pfingsten

@pfingstenshow

patrick@theillinoize.com