Issues of Concern

The Horry County Republican Party

For discussion at September 16, 2019 Executive Committee Meeting

1. Sharing Duties/Information with Co-Chair Carey.

HCGOP Co-Chairman Perdue has consistently failed to embrace her co-chair as of equal
responsibility and has failed to work with her co-chair to share information and
communications. She has held meetings with selected HCGOP officers and made
unilateral decisions without the knowledge and/or participation of the co-chair. The
unprecedented nature of this SCGOP-approved co-chair system requires that Ms. Perdue
understand her co-chair’s equal status and that they must work together to define the
nature and responsibilities of the HCGOP’s co-chairs.

2. Refusal to Respond to Co-Chair & Member Requests.

HCGOP Co-Chairman Perdue has steadfastly refused to respond to repeated formal and
informal requests for what are universally considered the most basic, fundamental
materials necessary and required by law and tradition to operate the HCGOP or any
legitimate organization.

3. Refusal to Provide Thorough Financial Records to Treasurer.

HCGOP Co-Chairman Perdue resisted turning over the HCGOP’s books and other
financial information to the newly appointed Party Treasurer, Eric Santorelli. On May 24,
2019, she finally presented the HCGOP bank checkbook to Mr. Santorelli – but those
checking account records only went back to December, 2018. Critically, there was no
back-up documentation for tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of checks written and
deposits made: No Invoices, No Receipts; No Books. It appears our Party, throughout Ms.
Perdue’s tenure, kept little or no financial records of any kind. Were it not that the bank
maintains copies of checks written, Mr. Santorelli would have no idea what monies were
expended on what products and/or services.

4. Issuance of Check & Cash for Services without Authorization.

The checkbook present to Mr. Santorelli on May 24th included a carbon of check #2257
made payable that very day to “Cash” in the amount of $1,500.00. No invoice
accompanied the check, which had been cashed by Co-Chairman Perdue, but a note in
the memo portion denoted “Website Coding.” No records exist of any authorization
approvals for a check of $1,500 (to cash or to any individual) by fellow HCGOP officers, the
Ways & Means Committee, or the Executive Committee.

Shockingly, only one signature appears on that check … that of Co-Chairman Perdue. Her
unilateral decision to write a check to cash and to spend $1,500 on “Website Coding”
without the express approval of other officers and/or the Ways & Means Committee and/or
the Executive Committee is in direct violation of the Party Bylaws. To add injury to insult,
the Executive Committee, at its meeting in March, had voted by an overwhelming majority
to authorize payment of a check for 1/3 that amount for website and hosting services.

5. Failure to Follow HCGOP Bylaws and Standard Business Practices.

Upon further examination of 160 checks dating back to 11/3/15 (presented to Mr. Santorelli
by Ms. Perdue) – as well other checks that Mr. Santorelli acquired from the bank directly, it
became painfully evident that Co-Chairman Ms. Perdue has not only consistently failed to
follow financial procedures established in the HCGOP Bylaws, but has also consistently
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Issues of Concern
The Horry County Republican Party
For discussion at September 16, 2019 Executive Committee Meeting

failed to follow standard acceptable business procedure for expenditures and record-
keeping.
• Out of a total of 160 checks reviewed written by Ms. Perdue over the last (45+)
months, a total of only eleven (11) checks contain the two signatures required in the
Bylaws for check of ANY amount. Of those 160 checks, 76 checks were written by
Ms. Perdue in amounts in excess of $250; including 13 written in amounts in excess
of $1,000. Of the 13 in excess of $1,000, only 4 had the required 2 signatures. It is
unknown whether the checks over $1,000 were approved by the Ways and Means
committee.
• A total of 6 checks were made payable to “cash” for “change” and/or a variety of
sometimes unspecified purposes, for which no corresponding deposit has been
identified as received.
• A total of 39 transactions (28 checks plus 11 automatic debit) totaling $13,314.87
were made payable to “Cardmember Services” for credit card payments, yet the
HCGOP has no credit card issued in its name. As of this writing, there are no
corresponding receipts identifying the nature and purpose of these credit card
charges – to say nothing of an explanation as to whose name appears on the credit
card in question.
• Despite being said that Dreama Perdue possesses a HCGOP cell phone, there are
no records of funds being dispersed directly for any phone services. It is thought
that the payments to the “Cardmember services “credit card include phone service
charges , among other unknown expenses. It has been stated that Dreama has a
HCGOP phone number - (843) 998-1271. This phone number is NOT registered to
the Horry County Republican Party and is, according to Ms. Perdue herself, her
personal cell phone.

6. HCGOP Insurance Policy.

Ms. Perdue has repeatedly failed to respond to requests by her co-chair to provide him with
a copy of the HCGOP Insurance Policy (for which bank records show we are spending in
excess of $1,200 annually). After almost 3 months of refusals and concerns about the
nature and scope of the coverage we are receiving, Mr. Carey contacted the appropriate
insurance company shown on the checking account and was able to obtain a copy of the
policy. Critically, it appears that the policy does NOT include ANY insurance for Directors
and Officers – meaning that every officer and every EC may be liable for damages in a
lawsuit. In addition, the liability policy denotes coverage at 2 addresses (one owned by
Winyah Road LLC , the other the property of past HCGOP chairman Robert Rabon). This
situation is untenable and completely indefensible.

7. Website & Social Media.

Ms. Perdue has repeatedly failed to direct those responsible for building and/or maintaining
the official HCGOP website and/or Social Media pages to prohibit the use of these
important Party communications vehicles for individual promotion, including that of specific
candidates and/or political organizations. In addition to failing to share “administrative”
tasks with her duly-elected co-chair, she has taken it upon herself to determine what
organizations qualify to be listed as “approved” by the HCGOP – even though there IS NO
SUCH approval procedure.
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Issues of Concern
The Horry County Republican Party
For discussion at September 16, 2019 Executive Committee Meeting

8. Membership Database.
Ms. Perdue has repeatedly failed to provide copies of the HCGOP membership database,
including records of who has paid dues and when; contact information for both phone, snail
mail and Email and other information absolutely vital to the execution of her duties as co-
chair of the Party – and critical to the successful execution of the duties and responsibilities
of the various Standing Committees. Accurate membership data is the lifeblood of any
membership organization, especially one involved in politics and elections.

9. Public contact/responsiveness.
Numerous test calls to (843) 998-1271 have been answered simply “Hello” rather than a
formal greeting such as “Thank you for calling the Horry County Republican Party.” Still
another phone number appears on some Facebook Pages (843-488-4445) … a number
that has been disconnected for several years. Standing Committee chairs and members,
along with Ms. Perdue’s co-chair, insist that prompt and accurate response to public or
member inquiries by ANY communications means is absolutely vital to the successful
operation, maintenance and growth of the HCGOP.