Setting the Record Straight: The Brian Griffiths I Know

I was recently taken aback by a statement made by Kory Boone, the newly elected Chair of the Maryland Young Republicans (MDYR).  He wrote a lengthy “apology” to his fellow republicans in Maryland and around the Country for what he described as a failing MDYR organization under previous leadership.

However, Kory’s statement was not so much a sincere apology as it was a smear attack on an individual, namely Brian Griffiths, the former MDYR Chairman.

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Quite frankly, I am disappointed at Kory’s statement, to say the least.

And since I am one of Kory’s fellow republicans, I decided to write my own statement to Republicans in Maryland and throughout the Country.

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Dear fellow Republicans,

My name is Robert Windley and I represent District 23 on the Prince George’s County Republican Central Committee.

I recently came across Kory Boone’s “apology statement” regarding the years of service of Brian Griffiths as the former Chairman of the Maryland Young Republicans (MDYR).

When I read Kory’s statement, Ronald Reagan’s famous “Eleventh Commandment” came to mind: “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow republican”.

While some individuals on the new MDYR leadership team were running around the State looking for a title to win, Brian stuck to his commitment to not seek a third term as MDYR Chair and was busy fighting for conservatism on the front lines; a spot on example of this is when I attended a Maryland Republican Party Officers Candidate Forum in Anne Arundel County in 2014 before the Maryland GOP Convention last December, an event which was created for all interested individuals to come out and hear candidates speak that were running for various Party offices.

Coincidentally, it just so happens that one of the new members of the MDYR leadership team was, at the time, running for a MDGOP office that year and spoke at the forum, and Brian Griffiths was behind the scenes to make sure that the Red Maryland Network equipment worked and to ensure that all those who were unable to attend could hear the content of the forum.

Another example of Brian Griffiths’ dedication to conservatism that comes to mind occurred at an MDGOP Convention itself.

I got to the Turf Valley Resort on Friday evening, a day before the Convention general sessions were to begin.  Friday evening is a time for visiting friends, making connections, and enjoying the great food at hospitality suites (by the way, if you missed Mary Burke-Russell’s stuffed ham that time, you really missed out!).  During the night I saw several people from the MDGOP eating, drinking, and having fun, including Kory Boone.

But Brian Griffiths didn’t do much socializing.  I saw him in the lobby of the Turf Valley, interviewing people, discussing the Convention, and discussing conservatism.

These two experiences are not unique; genuine, behind the scenes service to conservatism is part of who Brian is.

While Kory would invite friends to DC Young Republican (DCYR) events—apparently without telling them much about the MDYR—Brian Griffiths stayed in Maryland and fought for conservatism, interviewing key candidates during the 2014 Gubernatorial Election, such as Governor Larry Hogan.

In fact, there was some skepticism as to whether Kory would even show up to the first Prince George’s County Republican Central Committee meeting to kick off the 2014 term to which he was elected by his district, due to the possibility that the DCYR may have been scheduled to meet on that same night.

Some in the MDYR believe that the majority of newly elected MDYR Executive Board members were hardly involved in the organization before the recent Convention in which they were chosen.  And that begs a question: If they are so concerned about the state of the MDYR, and are complaining about the organization’s past, where were they before?  Brian Griffiths was voted in by members of the MDYR for two consecutive terms as Chairman (unopposed both times), and would have won a third term if he had decided to run.  If the state of the MDYR was in as bad of a shape as they claimed it was, then why didn’t they get involved earlier?

I hope that Kory and the rest of his MDYR Executive Board can now move on and focus on the organization, and stop going on an “apology tour” for someone else’s service to an organization that most of them were hardly involved in before their elections.

And more importantly, Kory, let’s stop going after Brian Griffiths; You and I both know that Brian has done more for conservatism in Maryland than either of us.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions in this article belong to Robert Windley.  He is not speaking for, or in behalf of, the Prince George’s County Republican Central Committee.