NC GOP's 1st black chairman punished by party for overstepping his authority

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Less than a year after the North Carolina Republican Party’s first black chairman was elected over an establishment candidate, a powerful committee has reprimanded him, restricted his duties and accused him of overstepping his authority.

The state GOP’s Central Committee censured Hasan Harnett on Sunday with a “no confidence” resolution related to the party’s upcoming convention and its computer system.

Harnett was elected chairman last June.

The resolution alleged that Harnett also wrongly acted on personnel decisions and on handling attempts to remove party leaders.

Harnett declined to comment. Central Committee member Daniel Rufty on Monday called the resolution part of a “witch hunt” to destroy Harnett because the party establishment doesn’t like his reforms.

But another committee member, Rep. David Lewis, says Harnett hasn’t shown leadership capacity.

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