By Reid Wilson
The chairman of the Bernalillo Co. GOP is alleging a leading GOP GOV candidate physically assaulted a staffer, according to a string of emails made public by a NM political blog.
In an angry back-and-forth, Bernalillo Co. GOP chair Rick Abraham told Whitney Cheshire that her candidate, ex-NM GOP chair Allen Weh (R), acted inappropriately during an altercation at the state conventions this weekend. Cheshire is Weh's campaign manager.
"Your candidate physically attacked one of my staff members in front of many witnesses and others, including myself, received verbal attacks from your staff," Abraham wrote to Cheshire, according to emails posted by well-respected NM blogger Joe Monahan today.
"My volunteers, staff and/or officers are tried of your 'bully-style' tactics. We will no longer tolerate anymore [sic] verbal or physical abuse by your campaign or candidate and we will notify the authorities if this abuse continues [to] occur," Abraham wrote.
The argument stems from last weekend's convention, when some Weh backers could not get into the party gathering to support their candidate. Cheshire emailed Abraham to seek refunds of the $25 entry fees that delegates paid to be able to vote.
Cheshire did not take kindly to Abraham's suggestion of physical or verbal intimidation.
"[I]f you ever threaten a member of my staff again, either verbally or physically, we won't just threaten to call the police, we will in fact file a criminal complaint against you," Cheshire wrote. "I would suggest, however, that for the next few days, you and ALL PARTIES WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN VERBAL ALTERCATIONS take a deep breath and back off. We are tired of being abused by you and the staff on other campaigns and remind you that all of those attacks occurred in public as well."
Abraham was not immediately available to comment. Cheshire, reached at the campaign office, declined to comment and referred Hotline OnCall to the campaign's press secretary, who did not immediately call back.
Weh, a Vietnam vet who runs an air charter company, is running against consultant Doug Turner, Dona Ana Co. DA Susana Martinez, atty Pete Domenici Jr. and state Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones in the GOP primary. The winner will face LG Diane Denish (D) in the general.
Read the entire exchange between Cheshire and Abraham here.
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