Ga. GOP removes Pritchard
By Andy Ashurst
The Times Courier/Ellijay
In a 146-24 vote the Georgia Republican Party voted to remove First Vice Chairman Brian K. Pritchard from office.
“Todays vote demonstrates how serious we take election integrity,” said Georgia GOP Chair Josh McKoon in a statement. “We look forward to getting back to the business of the Georgia Republican Party next weekend at our state convention in Columbus.”
The vote was held May 10.
A Georgia Administrative Court issued a ruling March 27, finding Pritchard voted in Georgia elections between 2008 and 2010 while serving a felony sentence.
In the hearing before Administrative Law Judge Lisa Boggs, Pritchard admitted he pleaded guilty in the Court of Common Pleas in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, to two counts of forgery-after writing and one count of theft by failure to make required disposition funds in 1996. He received probation, fines and was ordered to pay restitution.
Pritchard testified he pleaded “no contest” to forging two checks illegally for $38,000. He said he was working on a construction contract, and the checks were two-party checks.
Pritchard denied knowing he was serving probation in the case despite signed court documents from Pennsylvania in which his probation was extended to 2011.
Boggs ordered Pritchard to pay $5,000 in fines, to cease-and-desist from violating the law in the future, to be publicly reprimanded for his conduct and pay $375 for investigative costs.
During closing arguments, Senior Assistant Attorney General Russell Willard, who was prosecuting the case, said he believed Pritchard knew he was in violation of the law.
“This is somebody who chooses when they don’t want to understand something,” Willard said in his closing arguments. “He knew when he went in all nine times and signed that voter certificate he was voting illegally.”
Once the judgment was handed down the state committee of the Georgia Republican Party called the removal meeting.
“After refusing resignation requests from myself and many others on the State Committee, the 32 day process was triggered to formally remove him,” said McKoon in the statement.
A call to Pritchard went to a voice mailbox which was full. An email message was also sent for comment. No response was received by press time.