CARSON CITY " More than two dozen delegates who attended the Nevada Republican Party's convention in April have filed a lawsuit claiming the state party's recent decision to appoint national convention delegates violates the law.
Those who signed onto the lawsuit, filed Friday in Washoe County District Court in Reno, included Wayne Terhune, a Ron Paul supporter who helped to organize a renegade state convention in June after the party's April convention was abruptly shut down.
While many of the delegates to the April convention who joined in the lawsuit were Paul backers, Terhune said Monday that others are supporters of John McCain, the party's presumptive presidential nominee, and the litigation "is not a Ron Paul lawsuit."
He noted that others who joined in the lawsuit included McCain supporter Mike Weber, who said in a news release about the suit that he wants to make sure the state delegates have their voices heard.
Zachary Moyle, executive director of the state party, said Monday he hadn't been served with a copy of the litigation and in any case "I can't comment on any impending lawsuit."
The complaint alleges that the state GOP's decision to appoint delegates to the Republican National Convention violates a state law which says delegates at the state convention shall select the national delegates.
Terhune said members of the state GOP executive committee "shut down the convention in April, and now they aren't giving delegates a chance to have their voices heard."
"Over a thousand delegates attended the convention in April, and the state executive party officials are attempting to silence all of them," Terhune said. "This is completely against the traditions of the Republican Party and the United States of America."
The April convention ended prior to final votes on what was shaping up as a national convention delegation with more backers for Paul than McCain.