Turmoil amid the Butler County Republican Committee continued Tuesday in Butler Common Pleas Court.

The struggle over control of the Republican leadership has played out publicly since early May, when the established county GOP committee sued three members of the Butler PA Patriots group who formed a nonprofit of the same name. Now, two of the men who founded that rival group are among those claiming leadership positions in the established party.

On Tuesday, Attorneys Gary Vanasdale and Jennifer Gilliland-Vanasdale filed a motion for dismissal of civil contempt actions related to that rival faction for failing to dissolve.

“It’s over. They lost. I won,” said Vanasdale, who claimed he had recently won the chair position for the established committee. He also is co-chair of the faction group.

Following the hearing, Vanasdale said the case was filed by the committee under its former leadership, and it should be dismissed as new leadership takes over. Among the slate of proposed leaders is Bill Halle, who is listed as president on a document dated July 14 with rules and bylaws said to be adopted by the established committee.

President Judge S. Michael Yeager said he would take the motion under consideration while also noting the infighting between Republican factions should be handled outside the courtroom.

“Honestly, I don’t want to be involved in Republican party politics,” Yeager said.

On May 10, Yeager ordered the rival group to stop using the name “Butler County Republican Committee;” to immediately withdraw a fictitious name request it filed with the Pennsylvania Department of State, and to dissolve the nonprofit entity.

Later, attorney Leo Stepanian, representing the committee, filed a contempt of court petition alleging that Halle, Erik Edwards and Zachary Scherer — who are members of the rival committee — failed to abide the court’s May 10 order.

On July 15, Yeager dismissed that petition based on another petition filed by Vanasdale.

On July 19, Stepanian filed a new petition, and Yeager responded by reversing the dismissal and reinstating the contempt hearing scheduled for Sept. 8.

The contempt hearing will remain scheduled unless Yeager again grants the motion made Tuesday for dismissal, which could come by way of an order in the coming days.

As Tuesday’s motion was presented, it cast some light on the inner workings of the committee’s leadership struggle.

Before Yeager, Vanasdale claimed there already had been a reorganization meeting July 14 confirming him as the established committee’s chairman by a majority vote, 77 of 127.

A notice was sent by mail to committeemen and committeewomen elected in May’s primary that a special meeting would be conducted for reorganization purposes. That notice claimed the committee’s current leadership failed to scheduled a reorganization meeting by the time frame set in its bylaws.

The notice said the meeting was called by Vanasdale “as presumptive chair,” and it took place at the Holly Pointe building in Butler.

“The meeting was held. It’s over,” Vanasdale said. “Their meeting tomorrow is improper.”

Despite Vanasdale’s claim, the established committee has a reorganization meeting set Wednesday, which was scheduled by outgoing chairman Al Lindsay.

Lindsay, who has headed the committee for the past four years, said he considers himself as the lame duck chairman until then.

In the May primary, Lindsay and his wife, Trish, both lost their committee positions for Buffalo Township Precinct 1.

Both Republican and Democrat committees may have elected one committeeman and one committeewoman per precinct.

Lindsay said the earlier “reorganization meeting” was not official, at least not for the committee, and the voting did not follow the bylaws.

Because of the results of the May primary, Lindsay said he is not eligible to attend the reorganization meeting, which formally elects new officers. Denise Etter, party external vice chair, will conduct the meeting, he said. Etter said she did not wish to comment on the protocols for the voting process.

“I just want an orderly transition according to the bylaws,” Lindsay said.

Lindsay said though he hopes the committee transitions peacefully, he has concerns about the organization’s well-being moving forward.

Lindsay pointed to a July 13 letter sent by Halle to committee members which established the meeting Vanasdale referenced in court Tuesday.

The letter appears to give a list of options for reorganization, including only one candidate per position. It’s only suggestion for the chair position was Vanasdale.

“Michael Oehling will walk everyone through the process of voting for Gary Vanasdale as our new chair of the BCRC (Butler County Republican Committee),” the letter said. “This process will involve others being nominated and completing the vote by a roll call or publicly stated vote, not be secret ballot. We hope you will vote YES to a roll call vote and then vote for Gary Vanasdale as Chair.”

Oehling is listed as co-chair of the new leadership in the documentation dated July 14.

The letter also appears to call for an unquestioned voting for selected nominees.

“We do not want someone in leadership who may immediately begin working to divide and destroy the new organization. This process will involve others being nominated by those who have supported Al Lindsay and public discussion. Please do not allow them to bait you into negative discussion and discourse. Simply be prepared to vote for the printed names on the ballot,” the letter states.

Lindsay said the bylaws of the established committee call for secret ballot voting. Having only one candidate for each office and voting by voice is un-American, he said.

“It is obvious that the public vote by roll call is designed to intimidate participants in the meeting to vote in favor of the preordained leaders of the new committee,” Lindsay said.

The letter further elaborates on how the apparent new regime plans to take over the established committee.

“It is vitally important that everyone vote only for our nominees printed on the form. This is the only way we can ensure the BCRC’s new organizational and leadership structure will be filled with vetted Patriots who truly believe in giving every committee man and committeewoman an equal voice and equal vote,” the letter said.

While both Lindsay and Vanasdale contest each other’s right to hold a reorganization meeting, Yeager said Tuesday it could be a moot point if Wednesday’s vote yielded the same results.

“Hopefully by that time (of the Sept. 8 hearing) this infighting can be over and finished,” he said.

Vanasdale responded, claiming he was concerned the committee’s vote will be tampered with by disqualifying some committee members from voting.

He reiterated that he already felt as though he won the position.

“We’re not going to replay the Super Bowl,” Vanasdale said. “I apologize to all the Republican voters that this is getting drawn out.”

In a later interview, Vanasdale said the new leadership of the committee will “end years of acrimony, cronyism, and deal-making in Butler County.” He said it will align the committee with the values of the Republican Party.

“BRCR is no longer a rubber stamp for an executive committee of the few,” Vanasdale said.

While Vanasdale may view recent years of the committee as flawed, Lindsay has looked at that time through a different lens.

Now, the party has a nearly full delegation of committee members and enjoys a 2:1 advantage in voter registration over the Democratic party.

Lindsay said the Republican party’s growth in Butler County led a wave of similar growth in Beaver, Westmoreland and Washington counties.

“The Butler County Republican Party became a very significant player in Western Pennsylvania,” Lindsay said. “That has just been left in shambles. This schism will make the party irrelevant.”

He said his leadership has been criticized during the dispute.

“I’ve been personally attacked because I haven’t gone after RINOs, Republicans in Name Only. I’m not interested in going after Republicans,” Lindsay said.

Vanasdale said despite differences of opinion on the committee’s past, it is time to look forward.

“Those (more than) 76,000 Republicans look to us to promote their values, protect their families, restore their economy and stand for the freedom that our country was founded and that is what the BCRC will now do,” Vanasdale said.