Hawaii Republican Chair Resigns Following Official Account s QAnon Tweets
On 2/2/21 at 7:36 AM EST
The chair of the Hawaii Republican Party has resigned after the state party s official Twitter account published posts about the unfounded QAnon conspiracy theory.
Shirlene Ostrov s resignation took effect on Sunday. The party s vice chairman for communications, Edwin Boyette, had sent the offending tweets on January 23 and resigned the following day.
Ostrov said she was resigning to allow the party to recover from the controversy and focus on finding excellent candidates and fighting for policies that improve the quality of life for Hawaii s hardworking families.
Trump Impeachment Lawyer Thinks Riot Footage Shouldn t Be Shown At Trial
Here s the top of mind rundown today:
Ostrov Resign as Chair of the Hawaii Republican Party. In light of controversial tweets, Shirlene resigned in the best interest of the party. But, she s still staying on as a committee member. If you re leaving because it s in the best interest of the party, you gotta leave - everything. If not, then why leave in the first place? Counterproductive, but par for the course.
The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded Hawaii $13 million for homelessness. Ummm.how in the world is that gonna make a difference when the annual budget is appx. $100 million? The word abyss comes to mind.
Hawaii GOP official resigns after posting pro-QAnon tweets
By MARK THIESSENJanuary 26, 2021 GMT
In this Nov. 2, 2016, file photo, Shirlene Ostrov, then a Republican candidate for Congress, waves to drivers at a highway intersection in Waipahu, Hawaii. Now the chair of the Republican Party of Hawaii, Ostrov on Monday, Jan. 25, 2021, took full responsibility for the unauthorized tweets that were sent by the party s vice chair on Jan. 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Cathy Bussewitz, file)
In this Nov. 2, 2016, file photo, Shirlene Ostrov, then a Republican candidate for Congress, waves to drivers at a highway intersection in Waipahu, Hawaii. Now the chair of the Republican Party of Hawaii, Ostrov on Monday, Jan. 25, 2021, took full responsibility for the unauthorized tweets that were sent by the party s vice chair on Jan. 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Cathy Bussewitz, file)
The Associated Press
A high-ranking official with the Hawaii Republican Party confirmed Monday that he resigned after posting a series of tweets about the QAnon conspiracy theory on the official party account, saying its adherents shouldn’t be mocked.
“We should make it abundantly clear the people who subscribed to the Q fiction, were largely motivated by a sincere and deep love for America. Patriotism and love of County (sic) should never be ridiculed,” said one of several tweets that Hawaii GOP vice chairman Edwin Boyette posted Saturday. The tweets have since been deleted from the party’s account.
QAnon followers advocate a conspiracy theory rooted in the baseless belief that former President Donald Trump was fighting deep state enemies and a cabal of Satan-worshipping cannibals operating a child sex trafficking ring. Some QAnon believers were among the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Nicolas Ochs of Hawaii, a founder of the Hawaii chapter of the far-rig