Carteret County Republican activist Jessica Hult had an eye-opening experience as a delegate to the recent NCGOP convention in Greensboro:
“I’ve been a delegate to the state convention a number of times. I’ve been to the national convention. I’ve NEVER had anyone talk to — or treat me — like this. NEVER. They were bullies, and nobody likes bullies.”
The Haymaker caught up with the still-shaken Hult by telephone Wednesday evening. She said her phone has been ringing off the hook with party activists — and a number of attorneys — offering support and assistance.
The episode in question began last Saturday at the Greensboro convention. Hult said she was distributing stacks of THESE FLIERS to individuals who were planning to pass them out to convention-goers as they left the convention hall:
“My first indication that something was up was when I heard someone shouting: ‘There she is! There she is!‘ I looked over to see two guys in suits hurrying over toward me. I didn’t recognize the two men until they got close and I saw their name tags.”
She said the men were NCGOP vice-chairman Wayne King, and Paul Foley — introduced to Hult as “the party attorney”:
“They both appeared to be very upset. Mr. Foley suggested that the fliers I was handing out were not even legal and were likely a violation of campaign finance laws. He wanted to know who I was doing this for, and who was paying for it. I told him these fliers were designed and distributed with the idea of asking questions on behalf of a large portion of delegates here today at the convention.”
Hult said King “didn’t like” the fliers, and wanted examples from her about how he had meddled in primaries or run “decoy candidates.” Hult said King also suggested that the fliers were “slanderous and defamatory”:
“Did I wish they were worded a little better? Certainly. The grammar was questionable. But as far as the points the fliers made, I thought they were valid questions that needed to be asked and answered.”
Hult said she didn’t draw up the fliers:
“I got asked to help pass them out, and I agreed to do it. I am a woman of my word. I do what I promise to do.”
She said, at that point, Speaker Tillis and Senator Bob Rucho joined the discussion. (The event was occurring near where most of the Mecklenburg County delegation was seated.) Hult said Rucho questioned her about the fliers in a very quiet, diplomatic tone. She said Tillis took a different route:
“Mr. Tillis was clearly upset. He put his finger in my face and lectured me very sternly about slander and libel. He was the scariest of them all. If the idea was to physically intimidate me, it was working.”
