LPAlliance Requests Comment from Michael Heise on Conflicts of Interest, McArdle Administration
Editor’s Note: With Mises Caucus founder and Chair Michael Heise among the top three candidates being offered as prospective Libertarian Party Chair, LPAlliance has published a letter requesting comment on several members’ concerns over Mr. Heise’s involvement in ex-Chair Angela McArdle’s ascendancy; as well as over potential conflicts of interest regarding the relationship between Mr. Heise’s PAC and the Libertarian Party. Currently Mr. Heise receives his salary from the Party; and his PAC directs many of the decisions made by the Mises Caucus leaders serving on the Libertarian National Committee, whose positions were secured, in part, by Mr. Heise’s PAC.
The following was first posted on the LPAlliance X account. We are reprinting it here for our readers and as a matter of record.
We, a coalition of both left- and right- libertarians working to rebuild and strengthen the Libertarian Party, are reaching out in good faith to ask a few questions, raised by our members, about Michael Heise’s candidacy for LNC Chair.
As a cross-caucus organization that welcomes libertarians from Mises “refugees” to libsocs, we have received widespread concern over Mr. Heise’s failure to comment on the embezzlement allegations against Angela McArdle and other potential conflicts of interest. In order to demonstrate a commitment to transparency, decentralization, and responsible leadership, we request Mr. Heise’s comment on the following:
- Should a thorough investigation find McArdle liable for fraud and/or embezzlement, will you continue to stand behind the former Chair of the Libertarian Party?
- Would you endorse an independent investigation of the aforementioned fraud and embezzlement allegations; and an audit of the LP’s finances during McArdle’s tenure as Chair?
- Do you currently have any misgivings about your role in McArdle’s election as Chair? Would you have misgivings if the allegations against McArdle were to be proven true?
- Given that your own PAC oversees and advises the actions of current Mises Caucus leadership, how do you respond to concerns over conflicts of interest with regard to the relationship between your PAC and the Party? Do you intend to share finances between your PAC and the LP?
- Do you regard your current employment with the Libertarian Party as a conflict of interest? Do you intend to continue accepting a salary from the Party in the event that you are appointed Chair?
- Will your PAC be paying you a salary to serve as LP Chair?
- How do you respond to claims that, in spite of the Project Decentralized Revolution strategy, the LNC has become increasingly centralized, ideologically polarized, and inattentive to members’ interests under the Mises Caucus’ leadership?
- How do you plan to guarantee transparency in Party finances and expenditures?
- In order to provide accountability to members, will you recommit to making the LNC business list public?
We appreciate your attention and response to these questions.
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