GOP Vice Chair Parks Fights Off Accusations Of Misleading Donors

[#TexasPolitics365] 

Texas Republican Party Vice Chair Cat Parks is defending herself against an online campaign alleging she has misdirected party donors to get own fundraising webpage.

In a Facebook post Friday, Parks attributed the accusations to "some pretty simple minds with reading comprehension problems."

While she did not name her accusers, other posters hinted that they were being spread by a man who supported Allen West's gubernatorial campaign and opposes Gov. Greg Abbott.

Parks said she'd "traveled thousands of miles and spent tens of thousands of personal dollars for the conservative movement in Texas."

She also cited the 40+ volunteer hours weekly to the State Party since being elected State Vice Chair. The position is unpaid.

As an Elected Party Officer, Parks says she's statutorily permitted to raise campaign funds. 

"To anyone who can read, it’s pretty clear that if you’d like to visit MY website……… your donation will go to MY campaign." 

Parks came under attack by former State party Chairman Allen West in his final days as chair earlier this month. West, a critic of Parks and candidate for governor, called her a "cancer on the party," in an email he then widely distributed. Parks is a cancer survivor.

(Full story here
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GOP Chair West Calls Vice Chair Parks "Delusional and Deranged" And "A Cancer" In Explosive Email Exchange

[#TexasPolitics365]

On Wednesday, long-simmering tensions between West and the party’s vice chair, Cat Parks, boiled over in public as he called her a “cancer” and “delusional and apparently deranged” amid a dispute over a party committee project. Parks is a cancer survivor.

He unloaded on her in an email early Wednesday morning, charging her with long using her position to advance herself. Parks shot back at West, accusing him of hypocrisy.

"Allen,... if anyone has used their position at the Republican Party of Texas in an attempt to advance themselves,... it has not been me,” Parks concluded, punctuating the sentence with a laughing-face emoji.

West responded to Parks, a cancer survivor:

"You Ma’am are a cancer, do not EVER email me again,” West said, adding that Parks does "nothing but create chaos and confusion."

Email screenshot below: (click to enlarge.)

The email, which was sent to numerous other people by West using the BCC function,  entered the realm of discussion on the internet. He said he was sending it out to others "for wider dissemination." by Wednesday night the dispute was being played out on multiple media news sites and many commented on Twitter and Facebook about the exchange.

Conservative commentator Erik Erikson was critical of West's comments.

"Allen West referring to a cancer survivor as a cancer is what we can expect from him," he tweeted.

Former Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen was also blunt.

"GOP Chair @AllenWest’s verbal assault on VC @CatParksTX is nothing but a tirade of misogyny & disrespect by a man pitifully floundering to be right when he is so blatantly wrong. (And signing it with “God’s Blessings”…I’d say that’s an affront to the Big Guy) @TexasGOP #txlege"

The Maverick County Republican Party's Twitter account praised Parks' work as a vice chair.

"Nobody has done more to help the Republican Party of Texas Grow than Vice Chair @CatParksTX! Vice chair parks goes to other counties to grow the party and invite people into this party. Vice chair Parks was instrumental in helping build our local party. Thank you VC Parks!"

State Republican Party Executive Committee woman Summer Wise wrote of her reaction to West's comments.

"Vice-chair @CatParksTX is a cancer survivor who triumphed in an arduous, and at times, uncertain recovery. What kind of person tells someone grateful to God  for each & every day they are alive, free of cancer - that they are a cancer?"

Austin City council woman Mackenzie Kelly - the council's only elected Republican - was equally blunt.

"As a cancer survivor, @CatParksTX is the ultimate fighter, and has continued to live a life of service and leadership. 

It is clear that @AllenWest has disqualified himself for any elected office by resorting to a life of smears and lies."

(Full story here.)
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GOP Chair West, Gov. Abbott, Clash Over Gab Social Media Site Use By Party

[#TexasPolitics365]

Brietbart reports that the Republican Party of Texas announced yesterday that it would keep its account on Gab, the free speech social network, saying: “The First Amendment still shines brightly in the Lone Star State.”

This came a day after the Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott (R), branded the site “anti-Semitic” - an allegation that led to widespread condemnation of Abbott from conservatives on social media.

Gab strongly denied the charges in a statement, saying “there are many Jewish Gab users and customers, whose name lawful speech we protect with just as much zeal as we would protect the lawful speech of any person of any faith, ethnicity, or creed.”

The Republican Party of Texas, currently chaired by former congressman Col. Allen West, known for his strong Tea Party credentials, said it will keep its account on Gab.

The Vice Chair of the party, Cat Parks, has publicly called for the party to withdraw from Gab, but it appears the Texas GOP has rejected her pressure campaign to deplatform the party from the free-speech social network.

Inserting itself into Texas politics, Gab Thursday posted a picture of Col. Allen West, current chairman of the Texas GOP, who is seen as a potential primary challenger to Abbott. 

“The next governor of the great state of Texas,” said Gab, under West's photo.

Ironically, Gab used Twitter to post the picture. Gab used a feature of Twitter to only allow those mentioned in the post to respond to the tweet, limiting free speech.

Opponents of Gab say it's become a haven for anti-Semitism and extremists, including Robert Bowers, who posted on the site regularly before allegedly killing 11 people in a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018. He's still awaiting trial.

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