The Pennsylvania Republican Party has stepped into the monthslong dispute between two groups over control of the Butler County Republican Committee by recognizing Gary Vanasdale as committee chairman.

Lawrence Tabas, state GOP chairman, said, in a letter dated Wednesday, Aug. 24, he adopted the findings and recommendation of the party’s credentials committee by acknowledging Vanasdale as the duly elected chairman of the BCRC and recognizing him as a member of the state Republican Party.

The committee’s findings and recommendation came from an Aug. 18 hearing held with members of both groups. The committee submitted its findings and recommendation in a report to Tabas the day of the hearing.

“I hereby adopt the findings and recommendation of the committee, as stated in its well reasoned report, and direct that Gary Vanasdale is recognized as the chairman of the BCRC, and in that role he shall be, and he is hereby, recognized as a duly qualified member of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania ...This decision is final,” according to the letter.

The hearing was reportedly conducted through a video conference call and lasted about two and half hours.

“I am encouraged by the state party’s leadership and swift action in confirming that the BCRC was reformed with our elected leadership. Change won at the ballot box, within the committee, in court, and now with the state GOP,” Vanasdale said.

The state GOP’s decision settled the dispute that intensified following the primary when the group led by Vanasdale claimed the original committee didn’t hold a reorganization meeting to elect new officers soon enough. Some members of the original committee, including then-chairman Al Lindsay, were not reelected as committee representatives in the primary.

Along with Vanasdale, the new committee leadership includes Michael Oehling as co-chairman, Bill Halle as president, Denise Tabacchi and Daniel Ritter as co-vice chairmen, Matt Cornetti as vice president, Madeline Petrus as secretary, Michael Freeze as treasurer and Jeffrey Harris as chaplain. District chairmen are Aaron Cameron, Zachary Scherer, James Pasqualini, Jeanne Swaskoski, Chester Jack and Frederick Hensel.

“It’s a new era for the BCRC. We are thankful that the will of the Butler County Republican voters has prevailed. BCRC is the party of the people, not the few,” Gary Vanasdale said. “All major decisions are now voted on by the majority of duly elected committee members.”

Cindy Hilderbrand, who was elected committee chairman by members of the original committee on Aug. 17, could not be reached for comment about the decision.

The dispute between the two groups began in May, when the original committee filed a suit in Butler County Common Pleas Court seeking to stop the new group from using the BCRC name. That group filed paperwork with the Pennsylvania Department of State to set up a nonprofit corporation using the BCRC name.

On May 10, the court ruled in favor of the original committee by ordering the group to stop using the BCRC name, withdraw the paperwork and dissolve its nonprofit organization.

The original committee filed a contempt of court petition in June claiming the group didn’t follow the May 10 order, but that petition was dismissed based on a petition filed by Vanasdale after the primary election.

In July, the court reversed the dismissal and scheduled a contempt hearing after the original committee filed a new petition.

In early August, the court dismissed the contempt petition, leading the rival groups to ask the state GOP to settle the dispute.