Leadership of the Butler County Republican Committee appears to remain in dispute despite a new court order that dismisses a contempt of court petition filed by members of the original committee.

The yearlong struggle for control of the committee took a turn when Common Pleas President Judge S. Michael Yeager issued an order July 27 vacating an order he issued July 19 that required Bill Halle, Erik Edwards and Zachary Scherer to stop using the name “Butler County Republican Committee,” to immediately withdraw a fictitious name request filed with the Pennsylvania Department of State, and to dissolve the nonprofit entity.

The order, which also cancels a contempt of court hearing that was scheduled for Sept. 8, was mailed to the parties Tuesday.

The July 19 order from Yeager is the same as an order he issued May 10 based on a petition filed by attorney Leo Stepanian, who represents the original committee. Yeager dismissed the May 10 order on July 15 based on a petition filed by attorney Gary Vanasdale, who represents the new committee and serves as its co-chairman.

On July 19, Yeager reversed the dismissal and reinstated the contempt hearing after Stepanian filed a new petition.

The July 27 order is the result of a hearing Yeager held the previous day.

“What we have now is a brand-new organizational structure and a nonprofit organization, which means we're fully accountable to the public,” Halle, president of the new committee, said Tuesday.

The new committee held a reorganization meeting July 14 in which Halle, Vanasdale and other officers were elected.

A notice of that meeting was sent to committee members who were elected in the May primary. The notice claimed the original committee’s leadership failed to schedule a reorganization meeting by the time frame set in its bylaws.

The original committee tried to hold a reorganization meeting July 27, but the meeting was canceled because a quorum of members did not attend.

Halle said the new committee’s bylaws give equal votes to all committee members and prevents a small group from wresting control of the committee. The bylaws do not give voting privileges to the president, vice president, secretary and treasurer, he said.

Attorney Al Lindsay, a former committeeman and chairman of the original committee, said the new court order dismisses the contempt petition, but does not settle the leadership question.

“That matter has not all been resolved,” Lindsay said.

He cited comments Yeager made during the July 26 hearing when he said he doesn’t want to get involved in the politics of the Republican Party, and that the infighting between the factions should be handled out of court.

The original committee has rescheduled its reorganization meeting for Aug. 10, Lindsay said.

Lindsay was committee chairman for four years. He and his wife, Trish, lost their committee positions for Buffalo Township Precinct 1 in the May primary.

Halle said the new committee can be contacted at 724-277-2297 or by email at 2BCRC@proton.me.