State GOP Directors Vote to Back Recall of Allen

Turning up the heat on Assembly Speaker Doris Allen, the California Republican Party agreed Friday to endorse an attempt to recall the Orange County lawmaker and lend the party’s name and financial clout to the effort.

The party’s board of directors voted 11 to 0 during a telephone conference call Friday morning to back the recall drive against the Cypress Republican.

Republican officials had originally said they would wait for a vote by the party’s 2,000 delegates at a September convention in Palm Springs before committing to the drive to dump Allen from office. Top Republicans have accused Allen of being a traitor to the party’s cause ever since she was elevated to the Assembly’s top post in June with the backing of only Democrats.

Party leaders said they dropped plans to bring the vote before all the delegates after hearing what they considered serious allegations against Allen during a GOP Rules Committee tribunal Thursday.

Officials in the Allen camp blasted the board for its decision to seek the removal of a fellow Republican. “It’s just a railroad,” said Alan Hoffenblum, Allen’s campaign consultant.