The original Butler County Republican Committee is expected to reschedule its reorganization meeting after a quorum of members did not show up for the meeting that was supposed to be held July 27.

The reorganization meeting to select new officers will probably be rescheduled, said Pat Stirling, who chairs the committee’s Western district.

She said committee members felt intimidated by members of a rival county Republican committee when they took photos of the original committee members as they entered the Holly Pointe building on Main Street in Butler for the reorganization meeting from across the street.

“It’s intimidation to members,” Stirling said.

Another committee member, who wished to remain anonymous, also said members of the rival committee were photographing committee members as they entered the reorganization meeting.

The rival committee pounced on the lack of quorum to bolster their court argument that seeks dismissal of a July 19 order requiring the group to stop using the BCRC name and dissolve the organization.

No more than 47 of the 127 duly elected committee members attended, and 64 members are needed for a quorum, attorney Gary Vanasdale, co-chairman of the rival committee, said in a petition filed July 28 in Butler County Common Pleas Court.

“These facts support (Vanasdale’s) representation that he has the authority as the duly elected chair of the BCRC to dismiss these proceedings,” he said in the petition.

He also said the court has no jurisdiction to hear the case because the issues involve the internal affairs of a political party.

A hearing in the case was held July 26. President Judge S. Michael Yeager hasn’t issued a ruling yet.