Dem Party chair: Jones, DNC leaders perpetrated ‘racist plot’

Despite receiving a rare glint of promising news last week, Alabama Democratic Party Chairman Randy Kelley unloaded on current and former members in a two-page letter today.

In the letter, Kelley called enemies “losers” while reviving claims that former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones and Democratic National Committee leadership are involved in a “racist plot” to “weaken the Black vote” within the state party.

In recent years, leadership of the party exchanged hands between Alabama Democratic Conference (ADC) and longtime “black political caucus” leader Joe Reed and a short-lived regime change by DNC officials in 2019, which ushered in new bylaws, new leadership and new caucuses.

“These new caucuses were created by former Senator Doug Jones and former DNC Chair Thomas Perez, as a racist plot, to divide, dilute, undermine, and weaken the Black vote on the [State Democratic Executive Committee] SDEC,” Kelley wrote.

As Kelley and Reed returned to power last year, those changes have since been erased. “We never should’ve even changed the bylaws,” Kelley said last month.

Under the headline “Lesbian, Gays, Bisexual, Transgender, Queers, Other (LGBTQ+),” Kelley wrote, “The LGBTQ+ had seven (7) known members on the Alabama SDEC before the bylaws were changed. They lost nothing.”

Some members said Kelley, under Reed’s direction, trafficked in a “poll tax” that disqualified committee candidates without their knowledge. Kelley claims that’s “ridiculous” and “misinformation”

“Everybody was put on notice regarding what was necessary to qualify for the SDEC,” Kelley said, citing a quote from former chairman and State Rep. Chris England (D-Tuscaloosa).”

At that time, Kelley says, “Some of these candidates were ‘rounded up,’ and brought to the SDEC meeting but never completed a qualifying form or paid a qualifying fee.”

After last month’s party meeting, Jones tweeted, “To all of you who were disenfranchised today by the leadership of the Alabama Democratic Party – do not give up.”

As evidenced in today’s dispatch from Kelley, chances of unification around a statewide or congressional slate of Democratic candidates look grim. Any momentum will continue to be fragmented and left to candidates – if they can even qualify.

“Those who are constantly complaining are the losers who embraced the adoption of the corrupt bylaws three years ago,” Kelley said. “I submit to you that Alabama now has one of the most progressive and fair Democratic Party Newly Adopted Bylaws in the nation as a result of adopting the new bylaws. Our Minority Outreach Program protects everyone.

“I challenge anyone to prove otherwise.”

Grayson Everett is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270