Ousted leaders want to ‘solidify’ Reform Party

Angie Wagner

Monday, March 20, 2000 | 9:45 a.m.

Even though the Reform Party ousted him as chairman, Jack Gargan met with his supporters Saturday and said he wants to "solidify the party."

"Today is for cleaning up our own house," Gargan said.

Gargan, an ally of Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura and former party treasurer Ronn Young were voted out of office at a raucous meeting Feb. 12 in Nashville, Tenn. Gargan was replaced with Pat Choate, Ross Perot's 1996 running mate, and Ventura quit the party.

Gargan and Young claim they were removed illegally. A federal judge in Lynchburg, Va., will have the final say on the feud when he hears competing lawsuits beginning Wednesday to determine the legality of the Nashville meeting, where +police+ officers had to separate party members shouting each other down.

"The Nashville thing just put a hammer on this party," Young said. "I just want the party to be stable."

Before his removal, Gargan had called a national convention of party members in Las Vegas. He said the meeting was needed to get the party back on track. "We've got to get on with the business of being the Reform Party," he said.

Gargan and about 50 followers met to select a site for the summer nominating convention and reconsider nominating rules. Gargan said 250 people had been expected to attend, but many people had received threats that to attend the meeting would be "political suicide."

The party already voted to hold its nominating convention Aug. 10-13 in Long Beach, Calif. Gargan said his followers will vote to hold another one, even if it means having two conventions.

Gargan wants to change the nominating rules to limit the primary to party members and petition-signers rather than allowing open voting.

Even the Las Vegas meeting of Gargan's supporters wasn't immune to turmoil. He contended people on the other side of the party threatened the host hotel, the Alexis Park Resort, so he had find a new location.

For legal reasons, the group met at the Alexis Park, then adjourned to a meeting room in an office building just off the Strip for the real meeting.

Gargan and Young claim they are leaders the grass-roots followers want, and "top-down management" voted them out.

In Virginia, U.S. District Judge Norman K. Moon has ordered Gargan to give the court control of $2.5 million in Federal Election Commission money until arguments about who controls the party and its money can be resolved. The judge said it's reasonable to believe the Gargan and Young were illegally holding the funds.

"This is a soap opera," said Oakland, Calif., resident Joy Crocker, who just joined the party a month ago.