RPA Chairman Joseph Wood: Freedom Of The Press? Regnat Populus!

Transparency Matters More Than Ever

The Republican Party of Arkansas executive committee hosted a meeting Thursday at noon and successfully overturned decisions made by Grassroots Patriots at the Republican Party of Arkansas State Convention June 8 in Northwest Arkansas. So they say.

Sarah Sanders' Republican Party Suffers Blow From Grassroots Patriots

More than 60 grassroots patriots from all over Arkansas showed up at the meeting, held at the Republican Party of Arkansas (RPA) headquarters in Little Rock. RPA Chairman Joseph Wood ran the show but behind closed doors.

South Arkansas Reckoning also attended.

While the executive committee of the RPA met in one room, Grassroot Patriots met in a large side conference room with a RPA emblem on the wall. Those Arkansans met to discuss the rights of the people — the topics that are fueling former president Donald Trump's current campaign.

But the Republican Party of Arkansas, led by Chairman Wood, wants to silence the Grassroot Patriots — the very people who support former president Donald Trump.

Transparency does not exist in the Republican Party of Wood, and by extension, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders who put Wood in the chairman's position after the Lecterngate fiasco. Previously, Sanders had appointed Wood as Secretary of the Department of Transformation and Shared Services (TSS).

TSS was created by former Governor Asa Hutchinson for more transparency in state government.

Transparency is not Woods’ strong point.

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After the noon meeting, the Grassroot Patriots moved from inside the RPA meeting room to the back door of the building to face the very Republicans who would not allow them to voice their opinions during the meeting.

Woods’ wife, June, who is on the executive committee, exited from the back door and addressed no one as she slipped into her very expensive car. She's the second vice chairman of the Republican Party of Arkansas.

Confession: It's been years since I covered an RPA event, but I'm no stranger to inner-party politics on the Republican or Democratic side. At all. I covered former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee for more than 10 years. I covered former President Bill Clinton for more years than I can count. Party politics? It is a dirty business. Today, though, took the prize.

After Woods’ wife exited, more Grassroot Patriots began gathering toward the back door of the RPA headquarters.

I spotted two members of the mainstream media in Little Rock — one from the statewide newspaper Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and one from KARK — conversing. See?

I was not invited to their party.

Mind you, I've been mainstream media many times previously. I've covered stories for The Economist, Daily Caller, Daily Beast, The Washington Post, TheNew York Times Magazine, Christian Science Monitor, US News and World Report, Salon and more. I think I’ve earned my stripes in the trenches of media. My editors trusted me to get the story regardless of political party. I got results. Just Google Suzi Parker.

I'm no longer mainstream media because I know what they — Republicans and Democrats — don't want you to know. They live in a world of narratives and spin. Not me, that's why we created South Arkansas Reckoning, to tell Arkansans the truth however ugly it is.

Like I mentioned earlier, the private meeting concluded and the executive committee left out of the back door. Why? Was it to avoid the very people who vote on the Republican ticket?

These are real people who support Trump but they were not allowed a voice Thursday because Wood, who once worked for Walmart, shut them down. Here's his entire work history from his LinkedIn account.

Mr. Wood, you shut me out, too, because I guess I'm not on your favorites list. When you allowed only two media outlets — Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and KARK —to enter that building and told me no, you effectively ignored the freedom of the press. All press should have been invited to your press pow wow.

I’ve been covering politics for 30 years from Bill Clinton to Donald Trump. I've never had a door shut in my face. When Republicans and Democrats wanted primary opponents destroyed in national media with opposition research including elected officials in Arkansas, guess who they called? Me. You all know who you are.

Having a door slammed in my face angered me. Wood standing in the door like he owns the RPA headquarters, telling me I could not cover his “press conference” was wrong. I've covered Republicans, Democrats and every party in between.

Hello, Chairman Wood, a political party press conference should be for all media. Not just the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and KARK. I've earned my stripes at 55 years old and you shut the door in my face? I do not think so. Your actions sir, have shown the people of Arkansas that the Republican Party of Arkansas does not support a free press. That means you do not support the founding fathers or the Arkansas State motto Regnat Populus — “The People Rule"

Free speech, or the right to be involved in your Republican Party, is only for those you know apparently. Does the RPA spin you are being paid to sell to conservatives tow the line for the Republican Party? Members of the party do not want spin. The people of Arkansas believe in the Constitution — including the First Amendment. Do you?

I have never cared about either political party. Ask anyone who has known me for the last 35 years. Ask former Governor Mike Huckabee. He will tell you. Ask friends of Bill's. That's Bill Clinton if you haven't clued in. They will tell you. Ask state politicians who know me. Call Tucker Carlson. We've known each other since 1993. Call him. Ask him. If you have his number.

I care about what is right and wrong. You, sir, were wrong to close that door in my face.

By selecting only two media outlets to cover your “press conference” you denied RPA members transparency — again. You successfully avoided my questions Thursday, kudos to you.

Going into this story, I honestly thought there were always two sides to a story. Now you've got me wondering what you are covering up in the Republican Party of Arkansas?

You want to control the media and the narrative. Shutting that door in my face was a big mistake. Huge as Julia Roberts said in “Pretty Woman.”

You are around my age. Remember this?

I see how you operate. Invite in the media you chat with all of the time. You cannot fool me.

To those Arkansans left inside that room Thursday, standing outside or who were busy working, I will publish the result of the meeting. We received your press release, Mr Wood, not in person as I had hoped, but through email.

I even went back into RPA headquarters and talked to your secretary, and, I'm taking a wild guess here, an intern. I gave them my business cards. I've yet to hear from you.

You didn’t send your official statement to us either We received it from a Grassroot Patriot:

"Today the Republican Party of Arkansas (RPA) Executive Committee voted overwhelmingly to declare null and void certain actions taken by the State Convention Chair in violation of RPA Rules, Article 1, Section 6. While the State Convention is the final authority on RPA matters, that body adopted RPA Rules in their entirety, and then repeatedly violated the notice requirements provided in Article 1, Section 6, Items F-G. Those violations of the RPA Rules were predictable considering the Convention Chair attempted not once, but twice, to strip those sections from adoption. Those failed attempts at eliminating the notice requirements, prior to their adoption as a whole, are an admission of their necessity. The will of the body was to preserve those sections of the Rules; sections which protect against the chaos of unknown and unvetted proposals.

This does not negate the certification of state and federal candidates, presidential electors, or the additional platform changes which complied with RPA Rules Article 1, Section 6, Items F-G. Today's decision is not about any one proposal or group of proposals, but about applying the Rules equally to protect the will of the delegates, which was to preserve required notice."

Joseph K. Wood, State Chairman

Kenneth Wallis, an RPA delegate who attends most RPA meetings, was there at the door with me when you shut us out. He got it on video.

Wallis shares his videos on Rumble under the name JustTheRightAngle and on YouTube as “keeparkansaslegal” and social media. You know him. You shut him out too.

Today, Arkansans watched the RPA silence the freedom of the press and members of their party.

Jennifer Lancaster, chair of the Second Congressional District of the Republican Party of Arkansas and RPA Arkansas State Convention Chair 2024, told South Arkansas Reckoning in response to Thursday’s decision:

“The state executive committee's actions today violate state law and our own RPA rules. We will not acknowledge them. The people spoke on June 8th and we are prepared to defend them by whatever means necessary. Regnat populus.”

Mr Wood, you will not silence the hard working members of your party, and you will not silence me.