A county Republican party meeting in September ended in a police report, the latest turmoil in a suburban Cincinnati Republican stronghold.
The alleged shove – resulting in spilled coffee – came after a Warren County Republican Party member was denied entry for not taking an official "oath" to the party, according to a police report obtained by The Enquirer.
At the Sept. 22 meeting, the party was set to consider new rules that would allow it to penalize members for negative comments about endorsed candidates. The party ultimately delayed discussion on these rules to focus on other election efforts.
What happened at the meeting?
According to a Lebanon Police Department report, central committee member James Hibbard alleged a party member physically stopped him from entering
the meeting held at the Warren County Fairgrounds in Lebanon.
Hibbard's name is redacted from the report, but he confirmed his involvement and the details of the report in a text to The Enquirer.
Hibbard alleged Julie Seitz, vice chairman of the party's central committee, told him he could not enter the meeting as he "had not taken an oath," according to the police report.
Hibbard then left the meeting and returned with Linda Oda, the Warren County Recorder and a member of the party. The two re-entered the building and Oda attempted to escort Hibbard into the meeting.
Then, Oda and Hibbard were approached by another party member, whose name is redacted from the report. This person touched Hibbard on his right shoulder and told him he was "not allowed to enter the meeting area," the report said. Hibbard then told the person, "Don't touch me." That party member allegedly pushed him with both hands, and Hibbard spilled coffee on himself.
Hibbard told The Enquirer the person who shoved him was Ginger Lehman, secretary of the party's central committee. Lehman did not respond to efforts to reach her via email or her Facebook page.
Hibbard told police he was "emotionally shaken and physically hurt" in the incident.
Nancy Burke, communications supervisor for the Lebanon Police Department, told The Enquirer that the Mason Prosecutor's Office is reviewing the case.
The Lebanon Police Department originally refused to release the police report to The Enquirer, saying it was "under prosecutor review." But after the Enquirer's lawyer intervened, the document was released.
Hibbard told The Enquirer on Oct. 6 that a detective told him the Mason Prosecutor's Office was not pursuing any charges.
The prosecutor's office did not respond to an email and phone call to confirm why or if it's overseeing the case and if charges will be filed. As of Oct. 5, no charges had been filed in Mason Municipal Court, Lebanon Municipal Court or the Warren County Court of Common Pleas.
Incident stems from "oath"
According to Hibbard and the report, the incident stemmed from Hibbard not taking an oath of loyalty to the party before the meeting.
However, Hibbard told The Enquirer he did take an oath − just not at the official meeting when other members did. He said he took the oath with Oda outside of the meeting. He provided a picture of a signed loyalty oath administered by Oda on June 4.
"I, James Hibbard, do solemnly swear or affirm that I will support the laws and the constitution of the United States of America, the laws and constitution of the State of Ohio and I will faithfully, honestly and impartially discharge the duties of a Republican central committee member to the best of my ability and understanding as I shall answer unto God," the oath reads.
Christian Mays, chairman of the Warren County Republican Party, did not respond to questions about why members are required to take oaths, and if James' separately administered oath met party guidelines, by publication.
Growing tensions in party
The alleged assault is the latest in growing tensions over endorsements, campaign spending and crackdowns on dissent in the party. Trump won Warren County with 64% of the vote in 2024, and the party is trying to retake a Cincinnati-area congressional seat in the midterm elections.
The Warren County Republican Party's two governing committees were originally meant to discuss and vote on a set of proposed changes to its bylaws and code of conduct at the Sept. 22 meeting. Under the proposed changes, leadership could censure, penalize and kick out members who make public or private "negative comments" about endorsed candidates. Members would also be barred from "actively, publicly, or financially supporting candidates who run against party-endorsed candidates, including in contested primary and non-partisan elections.
In a previous statement to The Enquirer, Mays said the rules were just "proposed language" and that nothing has been finalized.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: In Ohio, a GOP meeting ends with spilled coffee and a police report
