Georgia Republican Party (GAGOP) Chair Josh McKoon on Wednesday confirmed rumors he requested the resignation of the party’s 1st vice chairman, Brian Pritchard, following the revelation he violated the state’s election laws by illegally voting despite being on probation for forgery.
McKoon wrote in a post to the social media platform X that he requested Pritchard’s resignation before making the request public.
The party leader explained, “My reasons are simple. I ran on two campaign commitments — electing our Republican nominee for President and ending the prosecutorial ‘witch hunt’ against our Republican Presidential Electors.”
McKoon wrote that the legal ruling which determined Pritchard “registered to vote illegally and voted illegally nine times makes it harder to accomplish both of these goals.”
Last night during a meeting of our State Executive Committee I called upon our First Vice Chairman to resign.
Today I am making that call public.
My reasons are simple. I ran on two campaign commitments — electing our Republican nominee for President and ending the…
— Josh McKoon 🇺🇸 🇹🇼 🇮🇱 (@JoshMcKoon) April 3, 2024
The call for Pritchard’s resignation came after Administration Law Judge Lisa Boggs ruled last Wednesday that Pritchard (pictured above) violated Georgia election laws after voting nine times despite his Pennsylvania felony forgery and theft convictions.
Court documents reveal Pritchard’s “charges arose from an instance where he endorsed two checks made out to himself and other parties, which resulted in $38,000.00 being ‘wrongly deposited’ in his account.”
Pritchard was charged on May 23, 1995, while working in construction and being involved in a $1 million contract.
As a result of his illegal votes and registration, Pritchard was ordered to pay a $5,000 civil penalty to the Georgia State Election Board, an additional $375.14 in investigative costs incurred by the court, and to immediately cease voting and registering to vote.
Court documents reveal that Pritchard acknowledged previous criminal legal proceedings in Pennsylvania dating between 1995 and 2017, but claimed he understood his eligibility to vote in Georgia was based on the completion of his sentences and that he did not know his felony convictions precluded him from voting in The Peach State. Boggs was unconvinced.
McKoon was not the only high-profile Georgia Republican to call for Pritchard’s resignation. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA-14) twice called for Pritchard’s resignation in posts to X.
“The First Vice Chairman of the Georgia Republican Party, Brian Pritchard, voted ILLEGALLY nine times while serving out his probation for FELONY check forgery,” wrote Greene the day after the court ruling was released. Greene then declared, “Brian Pritchard must resign immediately.”
The First Vice Chairman of the Georgia Republican Party, Brian Pritchard, voted ILLEGALLY nine times while serving out his probation for FELONY check forgery.
Brian Pritchard must resign immediately.
The Republican Party is the party of election integrity.
And after the 2020… https://t.co/l1CdYZHBpd
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) March 28, 2024
Greene renewed her call for Pritchard’s resignation on Tuesday when she wrote that the embattled party official is “a convicted felon who committed voter fraud” who cannot “continue to be allowed to represent the Georgia GOP!”
The congressman also seemed to indicate more negative information about Pritchard may be forthcoming, writing, “After the text messages I saw that appear to be sent from his account, if he doesn’t resign, he must be removed!”
Brian Pritchard MUST resign immediately!!!
He’s a convicted felon who committed voter fraud and can NOT continue to be allowed to represent the Georgia GOP!
After the text messages I saw that appear to be sent from his account, if he doesn’t resign, he must be removed! https://t.co/31Swuo1woZ
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) April 2, 2024
GAGOP 3rd Vice Chair David Cross claimed in January that he and Pritchard were being targeted for removal by McKoon, prompting the party chair to deliver a lengthy presentation addressing the claims.
The presentation, obtained by The Georgia Star News at the time, seems to reflect a disagreement between Pritchard, Cross, and McKoon about the purpose of the GAGOP.
One portion of McKoon’s presentation was titled “Things the Georgia Republican Party Does Not Exist to Do.”
The presentation explained the GAGOP does not organize primary opponents to challenge elected incumbents, “[p]rovide a platform to build personal brands on social media or elsewhere for officers,” “accuse Republicans of committing crimes,” spend party resources “to advertise Officer businesses or initiatives outside the GAGOP,” which sources explained to The Star News were points directed at either Cross or Pritchard.
Pritchard told The Star News he would not provide comment because of its publisher, John Fredericks, who he accused of being “coin operated and the ‘Godzilla of B******t.'”
Fredericks responded, “Fascinating commentary from the nine time illegal voter and convicted felon. Unbelievable.”
“I guess this is now where Pritchard has sunk to,” Fredericks continued. “I’m the problem when he’s got the conviction? Got it.”
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Brian Pritchard” by Brian Pritchard.
