Washington (CNN) - A member of the Republican National Committee resigned his post in protest on Tuesday, accusing party chairman Michael Steele of spending donor's money with "reckless disregard."
Sean Mahoney, one of New Hampshire's three national committee members, sent his resignation letter to Steele one day after RNC Chief of Staff Ken McKay resigned in the wake of several spending controversies that have engulfed the committee.
Longtime Steele consultant Curt Anderson also parted ways with the RNC on Monday, as did a top fundraiser, former Belgium Ambassador Sam Fox.
Read the full letter after the jump
Full letter [pdf]
"The recent scandal involving RNC funds being used to entertain a small crowd at a Los Angeles strip club is the straw that broke the camel's back," Mahoney wrote in his resignation letter, which he provided to CNN after it was first reported by the New Hampshire Union-Leader. "The scandal represents a pattern of unaccountable and irresponsible mishaps that ought to unnerve every fiscal conservative."
Mahoney blasted the RNC for demonstrating "a complete lack of respect for RNC donors" by spending money on private planes, car services and "high-priced junkets."
The RNC has succumbed to "the out-of-touch, free-spending culture of Washington," he claimed.
"Mr. Chairman, do I need to remind you that the Republican Party is supposed to be the conservative party?," he wrote.
In a statement, RNC Deputy Communications Director Katie Wright wrote, “We thank Sean Mahoney for his service to the RNC. Many Americans across the country are concerned with the binge spending, big government agenda coming out of Washington and the RNC is committed to ensuring that every donor dollar goes to building the infrastructure needed to elect conservative candidates that believe in the fundamental principles of our party.”
Mahoney is one of 168 elected members of the RNC, but he is also thought to be considering a challenge to Rep. Carol Shea Porter, D-New Hampshire, in November. Should he decide to seek the House seat, he would have to resign his committee post anyway.
In parts of his resignation letter, Mahoney certainly sounds like a candidate.
"I am not leaving the fight," he wrote. "Now more than ever we need conservative leadership. I plan on doing everything in my power over the next seven months to make sure that 2010 is an historic election year for Republicans."
From CNN Politics
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The casket is rapidly closing on the GOP. Come November, it will be buried.
R.I.P. G.O.P.
"Mr. Chairman, do I need to remind you that the Republican Party is supposed to be the conservative party?,"
You can't make this stuff up. The RNC and Michael Steele is the gift that keeps on giving. It looks like Christmas is coming early this year for democrats.
Exodus....movement of ja people...
So, what else is coming downt he pipeline? That's what I wanna know. There's something other than these mild distraction controversies involving Mushmouth that is driving this political diaspora...what is it? What's coming next? I smell a week long stuff-it-down-our-throats-Melrose-Place-style political drama coming soon to a media outlet near you....
I mean, here's the thing:
Imagine yourself having to put "I worked for Mushmouth" on your resume and then getting asked to explain that experience to your next employer...
The wheels are falling off the GOP Hate Machine and I'm loving it! Where's my popcorn?
Wow!! In the words of Sarah Palin..."RNC, how's that Michael Steele workin for ya?" I love it. the RNC elected him becasue they needed an African American to try to counter President Obama, which I might add was the most ignorant thing they have ever done. Next to brigning on Sarah palin. Now they cannot get rid of him because he is African American. Man that plan sure blew up in their faces. To quote McDonalds, "I'm lovin it!!!!"
Little over spending here and there gets so much noise in the national media since its the Reps, while the Dem's are spending our future big time and no one says anything.
Palin writes on her palm and it is a big news, the president reads from teleprompter (and also congratulates himself when the Irish premier was here) and no one reports!
Enough with the bias!
I wonder were they "making it rain" it club Voyeur.
First Tom Coburn makes a civil remark about Nancy Pelosi and now RNC member Mahoney acts with integrity. Maybe they can turn this political playground called Congress into an interesting debate about the future of America. That is what's at stake, right?
Everyone is jumping ship at the RNC.
When are you leaving Steele?
D, Honestly, have any of the bills passed by the Obama administration cost you anything? If you are working, you should have seen a little less money taken out of your paycheck on a weekly basis.
Why are you all complaining about something that has not happened yet and you really don't know if it will?
Republicans are getting this attention because they are playing perfect while stealing, lying and doing all kinds of evil things. That is why they are drawing so much attention. They are really crooks.
What's really amusing is that the Republicans always play the part of "holier-than-thou" only to have to explain a fund raiser at an S&M club! Or have another of their senators or congressmen caught in a sordid affair.
Keep warning you, Conservatives, about throwing stones in a glass house!
The party of NO is imploding. Congrats Tea Party! You did it! What PUMA couldn't do to the Dem Party, you succeeded with the GOP. You must be so proud!
(snicker....)
I just love all the right-wing folks who have been con'd into believing the "Government" is "spending" their lives away.
Honestly? I haven't felt better and more confident in Washington than I started feeling since last November!
You "Righties" really believe FOX "news"? Good for you. History, I've WITNESSED, tells me that starting with Gingrich and ending with George Jr., this country went into the toilet from a Budget surplus to a multi-trillion deficit.
History tells me that the Wall Street excesses went over the top starting with the Republican push to repeal the Taft-Hartley act and let Wall Street run rampant.
HISTORY TELLS ME – that when Bush passed several unpaid "tax cuts", waged an illegal war in Iran on YOUR CHILDREN'S credit cards, and passed Medicare Part-3 with an IOU - The Righties weren't screaming about the deficit HE was running up!
The RIGHT is not only morally bankrupt but Fiscally incompetent – STOP TRYING TO PRETEND OTHERWISE!
Is it me or is it every single time late when there is an election around the corner..the GOP starts frothing at the mouth and constatntly self-destructs? if they had any balls left except to say No steele should be the one getting FIRED! if it had been the Democrats the Republicans would have been calling for his head...stay classy DEMS! Let vote this bums do nothing Republicans out come November...lets finish what we started in Nov08!!!
The fix is in for Michael Steele and the backroom deals have been made to get rid of this guy without making them look as bad as they really are. Michael might as recognize he's been had big time and been made a fool at the same time.
Michael Steele is just doing his job. His job is to promote a thoughtless agenda based on personal pleasure at the expense of others:
polluters at the expense of the environment
corporations at the expense of their employees
defense contracors at the expense of our Soldiers
the list goes on.... it is not Michael Steele's fault. If he wasn't there they would just find someone else to do it. It is not the package that is the problem. It is the content that is the problem.
"while the Dem's are spending our future big time and no one says anything."
You need to come out from under your rock when oh, I dunno, IT'S ALL THE MEDIA HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR A YEAR...not just when you sense that someone may have made a poopoo on your precious political tribe.
I guess the rats have started to jump ship.
How's that conservativy, mavericky, family valuesy goin' for ya!
Winky, winky.
D. seems to be missing out on a lot of news. He/she says that "the Dem's are spending our future big time and no one says anything."
D. was asleep, you see, for all those years that Bush racked up the deficits, started unnecessary wars based on lies, stole our freedoms and shredded the Constitution. That's when the major damage was done to our country, and apparently, D. was tuned out for those years.
But that doesn't explain why D. doesn't hear the right wing media constantly harping on Democratic proposals like health care reform and jobs programs. That's very strange, since it is all over the news all the time.
No one says anything, D.? Need a hearing aid, D.? Maybe D. doesn't want to hear? Maybe D. has his/her mind made up and doesn't listen anymore?
"Everybody knows that the boat is leaking,
everybody knows that the captain lied. .."
. . .Leonard Cohen
Hey. Striippers are people too.
Don't be fooled people they are still all cut from the same cloth....Nothing has changed they just want us to think they are coming apart, DON'T BE FOOLED THEY CANT BE TRUSTED!!!
The RNC is collapsing like a house of cards. It's kinda fun to watch.