On January 16, 2023 the State Executive Committee (SEC) of the West Virginia Mountain Party adopted a process to establish Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in order to help the SEC navigate different scenarios of party business that are not specified or have not yet been defined in the bylaws. This provision, which became the first SOP, simply states:
1. SOPs cannot contradict the bylaws of the Mountain Party.
2. SOPs shall be adopted with consensus of the State Executive Committee, with a default passage threshold of 2/3 vote.
3. SOPs shall ultimately be adopted or rejected by a majority of Delegates at the Biennial Convention.
On March 6, 2023 the West Virginia Mountain Party adopted three additional SOPs including Online Decision Making and Listserv Rules. The third SOP addressed the issue of Good Standing for Mountain Party membership, which is referenced but not defined by the bylaws. This SOP establishes the criteria that constitutes a violation of a member’s good standing and reads as the following:
1. Be it resolved, registered Mountain Party members found:
- engaging in criminal deception or fraudulent activity, such as filing false documents with the Secretary of State;
- having been removed or having resigned from any party position over allegations of misconduct;
- impersonating the party as officers of the State Executive Committee;
- participating in a malicious hoax, such as a sham convention; or
- violating the party’s Code of Conduct;
will be deemed not in good standing for an indefinite period of time.
2. The State Executive Committee’s criteria shall apply to all party activities outside of the biennial convention.
3. The State Executive Committee’s criteria shall be used in the absence of specified criteria for future conventions.
4. Violation of good standing criteria are automatic in cases of removals and resignations over misconduct. Automatic violations also apply to individuals in verified, well-documented and demonstrable acts of malicious hoaxes.
5. Individuals can be determined not in good standing by the Credentialing Committee in accordance with the Bylaws. Alternatively, a 2⁄3 vote of the State Executive Committee, in situations when good standing is not automatically determined, will clarify whether or not an individual has good standing.
6. The State Executive Committee may jointly maintain a list of members not in good standing with the Credentialing Committee.
7. The State Executive Committee may decide no sooner than one year following the loss of good standing to restore a member’s status with a 2⁄3 vote. This vote must be accompanied by a statement of evidence showing a correction in the member’s violation(s).
Meeting on April 3, 2023 at 7:30 pm ET, the SEC without any objections revoked the good standing status of twelve registered Mountain Party members who willingly participated in a fraudulent sham “convention” and have since masqueraded as party officers and representatives and continue their attempts to deceive the public. The meeting was adjourned at 8:12 pm ET.
Nearly a year later on March 28, 2024, the Circuit Court of Jefferson County as ruled by Judge David Hammer issued an order granting default judgment, recognizing the legitimate Mountain Party with Denise Binion as its rightful chair. The court rejected the individuals who orchestrated this malicious hoax and sought to cause damage to the party. It should therefore be of no surprise that these individuals have been deemed not in good standing indefinitely.
If you as a Mountain Party member are unsure of your status, you are encouraged to contact the party by emailing contact@mountainpartywv.net. However, it should be reiterated that only 12 out of 2,500+ registered members have been determined to not be in good standing.
The West Virginia Mountain Party values membership diversity and expects there to be differences of opinion within our organization. Nevertheless, we absolutely will not allow criminal, deceptive, fraudulent, or malicious activities to be done in our name.
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