Breaking

9-Year-Old Boy Dies After Being Shot in Head in Croixville Housing Community; Police Detain 15-Year-Old

Concerned Residents Clean Christiansted Town Using Their Own Tools, Money, and Some Help from the VI Fire Service

Territory May See Veterans Cemetery Through DeGazon-Sponsored Bill

Credit and Debit Cards of WAPA Customers Were Compromised Since August 30th, WAPA Says, Authority to Finally Start Issuing Notification Via Mail and Email

Sports Tourism in VI Gains Momentum as DC United Team is set to Play Exhibition Soccer Game on St. Croix

Carnival Breeze Brings 3,700 Tourists to St. Croix During Maiden Call; Senators, Tourism Officials Want to See More

Limetree Bay Willing To Provide $10 Million To Help Add Life to a Dying G.E.R.S.

American Airlines to Serve St. Croix With New Flights Next Summer

The Sudden Death of Influential Roots Reggae Visionary, Vaughn Benjamin of Midnite Band and Akae Beka, Has Rocked the Virgin Islands and Reggae Community Around the World

Arthur A. Richards K-8 School Hosts Anti-Bullying Campaign

Come Out. Hang Out. Have Fun at The Meat Up, One of St. Thomas’ Latest Hot-Spot for Good Food with Friends and Family.

UVI Board of Trustees Approves $47.1 Million Fiscal Year 2020 Budget; Sets $3 Million Fundraising Goal

Man Dies During Early Morning Car Accident on St. Croix; Driver of Car Arrested (Updated)

'You Did Everything You Could to Prevent this from Happening': An Emotional Goodbye to Young Aaron Benjamin

Back in Business: Cost U Less on St. Thomas Opened its Doors Friday to Thousands of Customers 2 Years after Irma and Maria

Bill Aimed at Regulating Credit Use by Gov't Departments and Agencies Among Others Held in Committee

Juan Luis Hospital Announces Completion and Availability of Mobile Dialysis Facilities

Tractor Trailer With Tank Carrying Thousands Of Gallons of Liquified Gas Flips Near Cool Out Bar; Driver Injured But Alive

Credit and Debit Card Hack Through WAPA Appears to be Widespread in Virgin Islands; WAPA Says Support Services Will be Made Available to Affected Customers

Facing Life in Prison Without Parole, Mother and Boyfriend Plead Not Guilty in Murder of 4-Year-Old Boy

John Yob Wins Lawsuit Challenging Residency; Potentially Ending Melee Among Local Republicans

Breaking News / News / Politics / Top Stories / Virgin Islands / July 6, 2016

ST. THOMAS — A Superior Court judge in a judgement handed down Tuesday said that there was no 90-day residency deadline or requirement to register to vote in the territory, potentially ending the party-damaging scuffles and insults among local Republicans.

It also serves as a stinging rebuke to John Canegata — still recovering from a wounding conclusion last week by the National Republican Committee that the original delegates would be the ones representing the territory in Cleveland — who had gone above and beyond to ensure that the delegates who won the local party’s caucus in March, would not be the ones representing the territory this month at the party’s convention.

The territory’s laws does not impose a 90-day residency requirement the plaintiffs  or any other Virgin Islands voter, said Judge Kathleen MacKay as part of her judgement.

The local party descended into mayhem following John Yob’s win, after Mr. Canegata decided that the original caucus winners had failed to comply with a party rule and therefore were ineligible. Explaining himself, Mr. Canegatga said in a press release that the delegates had five days to “confirm, in writing, that he or she accepts election” and that they were “willing and able” to attend the convention. The aforementioned candidates, the release argued, had failed to state whether they could attend and had therefore been disqualified.

John Canegata

John Canegata

But in a widely circulated response, Mr. Yob — a political operative that understands the innards of elections, who has written a book about contested political conventions; owns a Michigan-based consulting firm called Strategic National; and is a former national political director for former Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul — assailed Mr. Canegata and said that he, as well as the other candidates that Mr. Canegata declared ineligible, remained qualified.

Further bolstering his claims, Mr. Yob posted a screenshot on his Facebook page of a statement issued by Certification Committee Member Jim Oliver, which stands in stark contrast to Mr. Canegata’s claims.

The failure of that strategy led to other attempts to remove the original caucus victors. The back-and-forth became so distasteful that a scuffle apparently ended with Gwendolyn Brady, one of the March caucus winners, allegedly being “slammed against a wall” during a meeting. A video showing the beginning of the melee can be seen here.

But that’s not all. There are currently dueling groups claiming to lead the local party; a fight that could continue for a long time.


Tags: , ,



Staff Consortium




Previous Post

Mapp Nominates Doctor To J.F.L. Board

Next Post

Georgia Man Pleads Guilty To Possession With Intent To Distribute Marijuana





You might also like

Leave a Reply


More Story

Mapp Nominates Doctor To J.F.L. Board

ST. CROIX -- Governor Kenneth Mapp has nominated Olaf G. Hendricks, M.D., to the Juan F. Luis Governing Board of Directors,...

July 6, 2016