WILLIAMSON – A fight among two groups calling themselves the West Virginia Federation of Republican Women has resulted in a lawsuit.
One group led by Jeani Hawkins from Upshur County filed a complaint October 16 in Mingo Circuit Court against another group and Sabrina Grace, a Mingo County woman who is president of what the plaintiff group calls the “Shadow Charter.”
"The West Virginia Federation of Republican Women (WVFRW) received its statewide charter from the National Federation of Republican Women in 1939," the plaintiffs told The West Virginia Record in a statement via attorney J. Mark Adkins. "Dr. Jeani Hawkins is the current President of the WVFRW. In her capacity as president, Hawkins filed the complaint in Mingo County against a rogue group of women attempting to impersonate the WVFRW by falsifying paperwork with the Secretary of State’s office.
"The WVFRW will not stand by and allow anyone to impersonate their organization. They have every right to defend their charter. The WVFRW has not been 'reorganized' with new leadership, but remains organized, and served by its duly elected officers."
According to the complaint, the plaintiff group is the state chapter of the National Federation of Republican Women recognized through its charter. It calls itself an unincorporated nonprofit association. Hawkins, who is a doctor of ministry, is its president.
The plaintiffs say the Shadow Charter filed entity formation documents September 20 with the West Virginia Secretary of State. Because of its nonprofit status, the plaintiff group says it is not required to register with the SOS office.
Two days later, the president of the National Federation of Republican Women denounced and admonished the Shadow Charter’s actions in an email, saying it is “not recognized as the chartered state organization for West Virginia” by the NFRW and saying the original group led by Hawkins is the true and accepted group.
The following day, the plaintiffs say Grace used the social media accounts of the WVFRW to post a five-minute video holding herself out as interim president of the true WVFRW charter. That same day, the plaintiffs say the Shadow Charter created a website at wvrepublicanwomen.org.
“Grace knowingly and tortuously places the true charter of the WVFRW in a false public light by claiming the true charter is defunct and the Shadow Charter is the now-existent and officially recognized charter,” the complaint states. “Moreover, Ms. Grace’s statements knowingly misappropriate the name and likeness of the true charter of the WVFRW and have caused the goodwill and reputation of the WVFRW to suffer harm.”
On September 25, attorneys for Hawkins sent a cease-and-desist letter to Grace asking her to turn over the login information to the social media channels and to dissolve the Shadow Charter. They say she has yet to do so.
“The Shadow Charter remains registered as a voluntary association with the West Virginia Secretary of State dba WVFRW, and Ms. Grace has not attempted to return the changed login information to the social media platforms of the true charter of the WVFRW,” the complaint states. “Ms. Grace has made no correspondence to the WVFRW or Dr. Hawkins.”
The complaint accuses the defendants of defamation, false light and appropriation of name or likeness.
The plaintiffs say Grace’s statement in the Facebook video saying the WVFRW no longer exists is a defamatory statement that harms the reputation of the group and deters others from associating with the group and “deters individuals, such as motivated voters, politicians and donors” from associating with the group and siphons association to the Shadow Charter.
They also say the Shadow Charter has said it has now been legally formed and “doing things right,” alleging the plaintiffs were not legal.
The plaintiffs seek compensatory damages, punitive damages, equitable relief, pre- and post-judgment interests, court costs, attorney fees and other relief.
They also want the Shadow Charter to dissolve its organization by submitting a statement of dissolution, signed by Grace, to the SOS office and to terminate all use of the true charter’s social media platforms and turn over the changed login information. They also want the defendants to cease and desist holding themselves out as the recognized chapter and turn over ownership of the website.
Hawkins and others, including Denise Morrisey (wife of Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Patrick Morrisey) attended the national convention for the Federation of Republican Women in late September in Oklahoma City.
The plaintiffs are being represented by Adkins and Grayson N. O’Saile of Bowles Rice in Charleston. The defendants did not return messages seeking comment.
Mingo Circuit Court case number 23-C-122