Massachusetts Morass Part 3

The April Meeting

In our previous article,

Massachusetts Morass Part 2: Regrouping for Removal, we learned the opposition group, led by Dr. Cynthia Bjorlie, devised a plan to change the voter registration of members from their disgruntled ranks from previously unenrolled or Democrat to Republican. The goal was to vote them in as members of the GRCC, which would provide the numbers to remove Chairwoman Ashley Sullivan. Meanwhile, in the lead-up to the monthly member meeting scheduled for April 18, 2023, supporters of Sullivan sent letters to GRCC members advocating on the side of the Chair and urging members to vote against the motion to remove.

The April Meeting

With Bjorlie and her cohorts present, state Committeeman Richard Baker called the meeting to order. According to GRCC meeting minutes, the first item on the agenda was a vote on the motion to remove the Chair. But before the vote could be taken, Baker asked if there were any challenges to potential voters. Opposition group member Robin Hubbard challenged the voting rights of several members, including GRCC Treasurer Linda Charpentier, Hubbard’s cohort Nicole Coles, and even Hubbard herself. Questions about the member status of several other people were raised. A chaotic discussion about membership rules and the Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) ensued until State Committeewoman Amanda Orlando’s brother, Joe Orlando Jr., motioned to table the vote so that all the membership eligibility issues could be resolved.

Opposition group members Irene (Frontiero) Sova and Nicole Coles argued that the vote on the motion to remove should be held anyway.

*A screenshot of the April 2023 Meeting Minutes*¹

According to the minutes, after the vote to table the motion passed, opposition group members Bud Hobb, Robin Hubbard, and two others left the meeting, which continued without them. Nine new members, including Patti Page (see previous article), were voted in.

Bjorlie’s second attempt to remove Ashley Sullivan as the GRCC Chair had failed.

Olive Branch Opportunity

Following the tumultuous meeting, Chairwoman Sullivan reached out to opposition group members, asking them to oversee several sub-committees. According to an email sent to all of the GRCC, members of the opposition group were appointed to head the following sub-committees.²

Clayton Sova Membership
Patti Page Election Integrity
Cynthia Bjorlie Horribles’ Parade
Robin Hubbard City Issues and City Recruitment
Cindy Curcio Youth Outreach
Bud Hobbs Annual GRCC Scholarship

In addition, according to the email, Nicole Coles had volunteered to lead the Fundraising sub-committee at the March meeting but later retracted her offer in an email dated April 21, 2023, when contacted by Sullivan.³

Also on April 21, Sullivan made plans to meet with Bjorlie that Wednesday to discuss the Horribles’ Parade. In the past, this annual event garnered much positive support and exposure for the GRCC in the Gloucester community. However, according to Sullivan, the meeting did not go smoothly.⁴

Several attempts by Sullivan to engage with the opposition members, which she saw as an opportunity for them to exercise their stated leadership goals, fell on deaf ears.⁵

*screenshot from May 1, 2023 email from Ashley Sullivan*

(Editor’s note: Massachusetts First maintains copies of several emails that support Sullivan’s claim that these members ghosted her. Due to space constraints, including them all in this article would be prohibitive.)

Taking Their Ball and Going Home

With two unsuccessful attempts to remove Sullivan behind them, Bjorlie and her cohorts nevertheless decided to try again. They issued a letter to all members of the GRCC, calling for a “Special Meeting.” A move they claimed was allowed under the committee bylaws, but one that appeared to circumvent the normal avenues for redressing grievances. If they were so confident, why call for a secret ballot vote? Was it simply another effort to oust GRCC Chairwoman Ashley Sullivan by any means necessary?

Thus began the ramping up of disruptive activities, instigated by an opposition group unwilling to work with leadership to make the improvements they claimed to want. Choosing instead to usurp the party system to topple the GRCC leadership, the group asserts its legitimacy despite proof to the contrary, which will be documented in future articles in this series.

Stay tuned for Massachusetts Morass Part 4

by Citizens for Truth Contributor

Sources

[1] Orlando, A. (2023c, April 18). GRCC Monthly Meeting. Gloucester; Massachusetts.

[2] Sullivan, A. (2023b, April 22). Follow up to 4.18.23 Monthly Meeting. Gloucester; Massachusetts.

[3] Coles, N. (2023, April 21). Fundraising.

[4] Sullivan, A. (2023b, April 21). RE: Parade Sub-committee.

[5] Sullivan, A. (2023d, May 1). Illegal Meeting Called.

[6] Bjorlie, C. (2023, April 27). Special Meeting. Gloucester, MA.

Massachusetts First