Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick is not going down as state Republican Party chairman without a fight.
The embattled Prince William County delegate, who faces an ouster vote Saturday by the party's state central committee, hired two lawyers Sunday to represent him.
Bill Stanley, chairman of the Franklin County Republican Committee, who once represented Paula Jones in a sexual harassment case against then-Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas, and A. J. Dudley, also a Franklin County lawyer, will represent Frederick. Dudley is the son of former Del. Allen W. Dudley of Franklin County.
Mike Thomas, vice chairman of the party who is leading the fight to oust Frederick, said the opponents will not have a lawyer.
It takes a three-quarters vote of the 77-member state central committee -- the party's governing body -- to replace the chairman. Opponents say they have the 58 votes needed. Frederick says he was elected fair and square at a state convention last May and ousting him would thwart the will of the party's grassroots activists. He says he has the votes needed to block the move.
The committee will meet Saturday at the party headquarters at 115 E. Grace St.
"We expect he [Frederick] will be vindicated of all the charges," Stanley said.
Frederick has issued a point-by-point rebuttal of 10 charges levied against him, including misuse of party funds, but his critics were not mollified.
Sixteen unit chairmen signed a letter late last week saying the party needs new leadership. Virginia's five Republican congressmen, GOP leaders in the House of Delegates and Virginia Senate and the party's gubernatorial candidate, Bob McDonnell, also want a change of leadership.
Contact Tyler Whitley at (804) 649-6780 or twhitley@timesdispatch.com.
Staff writer Jeff E. Schapiro contributed to this report.
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