CLEVELAND — Negotiations to reform the rules of the Republican Party broke down Thursday amid disagreements over a proposal to offer bonus delegates to states that hold closed primaries.
Conservative delegates, led by former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who is not a delegate, spent the first half of the day in talks with the leadership of the Republican National Committee over an amendment to party rules that would reward state Republican parties that hold nominating contests that are only open to GOP voters.
Conservatives have been concerned that the proliferation of “open” primaries, which permit independents and in some cases Democrats to participate has diminiseh the influence of the GOP grassroots and made it easier for centrist candidates to win primaries.
The talks broke down when RNC leaders, in concert with officials representing Donald Trump’s campaign, could not agree with the Cuccinelli group over what level of bonus delegates should be awarded to states that close their primaries. Each side blamed the other for the breakdown, although all it means is that the matter will have to be decided by a vote of the full convention rules committee.
“We just got to a point where, this is futile,” Sean Spicer, a senior advisor to RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, told reporters. “Each side wasn’t getting there.”
Cuccinelli disputed that account. He returned to the lobby outside of the convention rules committee hearing room to tell reporters that his side had agreed to a deal with the RNC, but that the party yanked it.
Cuccinelli said the deal fell apart because the RNC reduced the level of bonus delegates that would be awarded to states with closed primaries after the accord had been reached. He said the new proposal was unacceptable.
“Earlier today, starting yesterday, I think sincere efforts were made by the RNC and the Trump people, and a coalition of grassroots conservatives, that would make this party operate better for the grassroots,” Cuccinelli said. “This morning, after a deal had been tentatively reached, the RNC pulled out of it. Some of hou have been told the opposite, which is partly why I’m standing here.”
Cuccinnelli supported Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas in the primary, but told the Washington Examiner last week that he plans to vote for Trump in November, albeit reluctantly. His group of delegates also supported a rules change that would have banned paid lobbyists from serving as RNC members; it failed in a vote of the full committee.
Meanwhile, the push by some rebel delegates who oppose Trump and want to unbind the delegates from the winner of their state’s primary remains outstanding. It had yet to be addresed late Thursday, although the rules panel was expected to work late into the evening and throughout the day on Friday processing proposals to change the rules.
However, opponents of so-called conscience amendment were optimistic that the measure would be defeated. They pointed to an amendment to strip rule 12 from the RNC rules that only achieved 23 votes, five short of what is required to pass a “minority report” that could force a vote to unbind delegates on the convention floor next week.
Rule 12 allows the RNC to change party rules in-between nominating conventions, and many grassroots party members take issue with it, believing it puts too much power in the hands of party leaders. They saw the defeat of the amendment to strip rule 12 from the rulebook as a proxy for the conscience proposal.
New rules being considered by senior Republican convention delegates could pave the way for unbinding delegates from Donald Trump, as rules committee members negotiated a path forward Thursday ahead of Trump’s nomination next week.
The rules panel was set to debate multiple measures that could affect the rules governing Trump’s nomination and affect GOP nominees in future elections.
The most contentious of those amendments could allow delegates to vote however they want. The proposal is being carried by a coalition of rebellious delegates aimed at derailing Trump’s nomination. It’s a longshot, but if the amendment receives 28 votes in rules, which supporters believe is attainable, a wrench could be thrown into Trump’s nomination on the convention floor.
Party leaders appeared concerned that it might pass, leading them to recess the rules committee until 1 p.m. to allow time for private negotiations involving the pro and anti-Trump forces on the panel. The meeting gaveled to order at 8 a.m. but recessed soon after. Committee Chairman Enid Mickelson cited a jammed printer, which made it impossible for documents to be distributed to rules members.
The recess was extended to allow for more time to put pressure on rebel delegates.
According to a sources, negotiations included: Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus; Virginia delegate Morton Blackwell, who opposes the so-called conscience clause that might unbind the delegates from the winner of their state’s primary; Tennessee delegate and RNC general counsel John Ryder, who also is opposed; Sen. Mike Lee and his wife Sharon, Utah’s two delegates on rules who are believed to be sympathetic to the conscience amendment; Colorado delegate Kendal Unruh, the leader of the grassroots coalition of delegates, “Free the Delegates,” that oppose Trump; and Cuccinelli.
The party leaders and the Trump campaign would like to dissuade the rebel delegates from proposing the conscience clause amendment altogether. At the very least, they were negotaiting to reduce the number of amendments proposed by anti-Trump forces to smooth the rules committee process, which was scheduled to run Thursday and Friday.
The Republican convention begins on Monday.
It was unclear when a proposal to unbind delegates from Trump would come up for a vote, or if it would have enough support to get out of the convention rules committee and force a vote of the full convention when it meets at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland beginning Monday.
Rules committee sources told the Washington Examiner that the matter was fluid. It is still unclear, these sources said, exactly which delegate would propose the conscience amendment, and what the whip count was.
Mike Lee is considered a pivotal figure in the debate.
If the Utah senator and his delegation on the rules committee supports the measure, it could embolden other delegates sympathetic to the measure to join the effort. But when asked just before the committee gaveled to order if he would reveal his position on the so-called conscience amendment, Lee told reporters, “Nope.”
Derailing Trump’s nomination is unlikely. Delegates supporting him say that he has more than enough support behind him, in rules and among the full convention of 2,472 delegates, to beat down any rebellion.
But the Republican National Committee and his campaign are taking it seriously enough that they are furiously lobbying delegates on rules to oppose the proposal to unbind delegates from the winner of their state’s primary, and allow them to vote their conscience.
The effort against Trump is being led by a grassroots coalition of delegates and a political outside group that has set up shop in Cleveland.
