GOP insurgents score one against the Republican City Committee

Philadelphia's City Commissioners handed a small victory Wednesday to Republicans who are trying to oust Michael Meehan as head of the Republican City Committee.

The Commissioners said they would notify winners of the May 18 elections. That's how it has always been done, but four weeks ago, Meehan's representatives asked commissioners to let the party notify winners. That set off a controversy because of evidence of fraud, including forged signatures, on the part of City Committee candidates and representatives.

Al Schmidt, who represents the state Republicans challenging Meehan, feared that the GOP City Committee, which oversees party operations in Philadelphia, would fail to notify all winners. Schmidt's side threatened to sue the commissioners, but Commission Chair Marge Tartaglione said that was not connected to their decision to mail notifications themselves.

Schmidt's side had not initially objected, Tartaglione said, and when they did, later, the commissioners decided to "Mail it out and let them fight it out."

No one from the City Committee was immediately available for comment.

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