Buncombe GOP: Don Yelton still a pain in our ass following voter ID law reversal

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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The Buncombe County Republican Party says a former party official remains “a real pain in the ass” following the recent ruling by an appeals court to overturn North Carolina’s voter ID law.

In a July 29 statement, the Buncombe County GOP said it was once again apologizing for the outrageous comments of former precinct chair Don Yelton. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals cited those comments, made in October 2013, in its ruling:

“Some of the statements by those supporting the legislation included a Republican precinct chairman who testified before the House Rules Committee that the photo ID requirement would ‘disenfranchise some of (Democrats’) special voting blocks (sic),’ and that ‘that within itself is the reason for the photo voter ID, period, end of discussion.’ See J.A. 1313-14; Yelton testimony, Transcript of Public Hearing of the North Carolina General Assembly, House Elections Committee (Apr. 10, 2013) at 51.

Responding to the outcry over the law after its enactment, the same witness later said publicly: “If (SL 2013-381) hurts the whites so be it. If it hurts a bunch o lazy blacks that want the government to give them everything, so be it.” See J.A. 1313-14; Joe Coscarelli, Don Yelton, GOP Precinct Chair, Delivers Most Baldly Racist Daily Show Interview of All Time, New York Magazine, Oc. 24, 2013.

These statements do not probe that any member of the General Assembly necessarily acted with discriminatory intent. But the sheer outrageousness of these public statements by a party leader does provide some evidence of the racial and partisan political environment in which the General Assembly enacted the law.

As noted, some of Yelton’s comments were made as part of a now infamous The Daily Show interview. The Buncombe GOP in its statement said it was once again sorry for it all:

 

At the time, the local party demanded Yelton’s immediate resignation from his post as precinct chair — a post he also had been forced from just the year before in a separate incident which involved breaking party rules.

“Once again, our party has to apologize for people like Yelton,” said BCGOP Chairman Nathan West. “Yelton and his cronies are like a chronic case of hemorrhoids: a real pain in the ass that you can never seem to get rid of.”

Yelton, of course, had something to say in response. From Yelton on Facebook:

Well the Republicans again show their stupidity. Frankly Nathan I would keep my mouth shut unless you DON NOT BELIEVE IN FREEDOM OF SPEACH which it seems that you don’t. Not only that how is you money spending going? Now the real proof is that the Court uses a comedy show and a cut and pasted clip to prove a case. Think that if the party gives a shit they would ask me what I said in its complete sentence. It would show exactly what I said. NATHAN YOU BETTER be more concerned about the total take over of this county by the progressives. This also shows the justice system totally corrupt where are your comments on that. …

The day is ending and we have a court that is using comments made during a hearing and they pointed out that my comments were not racial just covering the bases. They also referenced a comment in a publication about what was said on a comedy and satire show. The Civitas addresses the decision as bad. WE HAVE Pete Kaliner discussing this and trying to stir up something. Guess he is upset that he did not get his show mentioned in the court ruling. All of this is going on at a time that Roy Cooper is trying to win the governorship. Hillary trying to win the White House {shouldn’t that be called a neutral color too}. Pete connect the real dots. How many students will vote at home and as Colleges. What is that potential. This is a deadly game and the Dems play to win while the Republicans can’t even address freedom of speech, coloring of evidence, and make off the cuff remarks while spending money without approval of the Executive Committee. If we lose it all it will be the fault of people like Pete, Nathan, Henry, Bob, Mike and others that just can’t fight the foe.

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

  • 1

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8 Comments

  1. Don Yelton September 6, 2019

    Chris if what I said was so damning why did they not put me on the stand. The courts democratically controlled wanted to rule and avoid the truth about how gerrymandering is expected with the DEMS and OK.

    The democratic party is imploding now LOL…..

    Reply
  2. Barry Summers August 2, 2016

    You tell ’em, Don!!

    Reply
  3. Broadway Barney August 2, 2016

    Make no mistake … what we are all observing is the complete implosion of a major political party.

    Reply
    1. chris August 2, 2016

      It’s a beautiful thing.

      Reply
  4. chris August 2, 2016

    As the ruling explicitly states, the comments by Yelton weren’t the basis for the ruling, and in fact were only background noise to the real issue: the explicit racism inherent in the law.

    And BTW, what the hell is Yelton even saying in that statement above? It’s barely parsable.

    Reply
  5. william e. carter August 2, 2016

    Most republicans are not any less or more stupid than most democrats. You are calling your fellow americans stupid. You are calling combat veterans, who sacrificed for your freedoms stupid. You are calling some blacks and latinos stupid. I am a vietnam vet, you are calling me stupid. Watch what you say, it may come back to haunt you some day.

    Reply
    1. Nate August 2, 2016

      Actually, no one on this thread said that Republicans were stupid. The only person who said that was Don Yelton, who until relatively recently was a fairly senior Republican official himself. Go make your ominous predictions on his FB page rather than here . . .

      Reply
  6. Murphy August 2, 2016

    Funny how the RNC isn’t apologizing for having “a real pain in the ass” as their nominee for POTUS.

    Reply

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