After months of false information being written in letters to the Baker City Herald and too numerous to count social media platforms, members of the Baker County Republican Committee will set the record straight.

Jake Brown and Ken Hackett’s accusations of theft are coming from people who were not at the meeting, who don’t attend meetings. If there was a person at that meeting who disagreed with the proposal and motions made for approval, they didn’t express themselves, because the vote was unanimous. Brown and Hackett just make stuff up out of thin air.

In September of 2021 a proposal was discussed for the committee to set aside an article bylaw which is allowed by Roberts Rules of Order and to endorse Kerry McQuisten. This proposal was based on what other counties have done in a variety of races over the years, including Dennis Richardson who was also a statewide candidate.

This proposal was shared with the committee by Tom Hughes. It was tabled until the November meeting. At the November meeting, Tom Van Diepen made the motion to set aside the specific bylaw article and endorse Kerry. Motion was seconded, and passed unanimously.

After that item of business was completed, Tom Van Diepen made a second motion to donate $2,500 to Kerry’s campaign. This motion was seconded, followed by a brief discussion and passed unanimously. Unanimously. All accepted parliamentary procedures were followed to the letter, of course people who were NOT at the meeting wouldn’t know that.

The people who were in the room can attest to the fact that it was not the County Chair Suzan Ellis Jones, the Vice Chair Julie McKinney, nor Committee Treasurer Joanna Dixon who made the proposal. The accusations that money was stolen from the committee is false, the accusation that the County Chair was behind endorsing and making the donation are false. Brown and Hackett have been on a very toxic hate trip this past year, doing everything they can to discredit those in the committee that actually work for the benefit of the committee. They actually act like Democrat operatives.

Baker County Republican Committee is honored and feel it a privilege to donate money and publicly support one of our own for governor of Oregon.

Vote Kerry McQuisten for governor. We are.

Justin Langan

Tom Hughes

Baker City