[Lnc-business] Fwd: Re: seeking guidance

[Elizabeth Van Horn]

Forwarded for transparency 

---

-------- Original Message -------- 

 		SUBJECT:
 		Re: seeking guidance

 		DATE:
 		2019-12-18 17:19

 		FROM:
 		Nicholas Sarwark <chair at lp.org>

 		TO:
 		LNC Gsuite Migration <lnctest at lphq.org>

 		CC:
 		Daniel Fishman <dan.fishman at lphq.org>

Dear Dan, 
  In reviewing the bylaws and the policy manual, I don't see any
provision that would support refusing membership from someone who has
made a legal donation to the party and signed the pledge, as it appears
Mr. Corley did.

 While we may not approve of Mr. Corley's crime, we do not have a
general policy of refusing to allow people with criminal convictions to
support the Libertarian Party. In fact, as a party that is strongest on
criminal justice reform and explicitly calls for the repeal of laws
against consensual sex work, members who have run afoul of the criminal
justices system may have an even greater reason to support our party.

I understand that the mail coming from a Federal Correctional
Institution probably inspired further research into Mr. Corley's case,
it is not our normal practice to look into the backgrounds of people
prior to processing their membership in the Libertarian Party. There has
been some heated discussion lately about whether party leadership or
staff should prevent people from joining our party due to repugnant
views they may hold or questionable associations they may have. We have
declined to engage in that kind of gatekeeping, recognizing that going
down that path leads to fights over who should be excluded or expelled
that distract from the work of our party and are counterproductive.

Our party stands up for the rights of all people, all of the time. That
includes people who have been convicted of crimes, even serious ones. We
support criminal justice reform and restoration of voting rights for
convicted felons. There is no provision for expulsion from the national
Libertarian Party, nor for exclusion of someone who meets the
requirements in the bylaws.

Yours truly, 
Nick 

On Wed, Dec 18, 2019 at 3:01 PM Daniel Fishman <dan.fishman at lphq.org>
wrote: 

> We received a check for $25 and signed version of the NAP from Royce Corley, who is currently incarcerated for trafficking minors and child pornography.
> 
> Details here:
> 
> https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/manhattan-man-found-guilty-federal-court-sex-trafficking-three-minors-and-possessing  
> 
> I am inclined to return the check, but I gratefully defer to the LNC.
> 
> --- 
> Daniel Fishman
> Executive Director
> The Libertarian Party
> Join Us [1] 
> 
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Links:
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