Campaign To Oust Four LULAC Executive Committee Members Initiated

Margaret Moran, Rosa Rosales, Manuel Rendon and Mickie Luna

Delegates of the 85th LULAC National Convention and members of numerous LULAC Councils have begun a campaign to oust four members of the Executive Committee who have served out their four one-year terms and continue to serve in violation of the LULAC Constitution.

By H. Nelson Goodson

July 22, 2014

Washington, D.C. - 0ver the weekend, the LULAC National Executive Committee met in Washington and decided to extend the terms of four members, despite a clear violation of its own organization's Constitution. Delegates from the 85th LULAC National Convention and members from numerous LULAC Councils around the country began a national campaign to oust Margaret Moran, serving as LULAC National President; Rosa Rosales, serving as Past National President, Manuel Rendon, serving as National Vice President of Young Adults and Mickie Luna, serving as National Vice President-Farwest. Moran, Rosales, Rendon and Luna are accused of illegally serving in the Executive Committee after serving out their four one-year terms by the LULAC convention delegates, LULAC membership and Voice of the Mainland (VM), a blog exclusively used to post LULAC's activities. Moran currently makes about $60,000 a year plus travel expenses, accommodations and other benefits.

Last week, Darryl Morin, who was the National Vice President-Midwest sent his resignation claiming that he wanted to spend more time with his family and mention that he was not happy about what happened at the National Convention regarding the Assembly elections. The elections were postpone by Election Judge Luis Roberto Vera Jr. after a TRO was filed on Friday, July 11 and then provided to LULAC executives just before the elections the next day. Vera Jr. under the recommendation by Moran and National Legal Council Manuel Escobar did postponed the elections after taking a two hour recess, failed to reconvene or adjourn the Assembly. The delegates reconvene without Vera Jr. or Moran because they had left the Assembly. They elected an interim National President, picked an Election Judge and parliamentarian to proceed with the elections. A whole new slate of candidates were elected by the delegates including Maggie Rivera from Crystal Lake, Illinois, who won the LULAC National President leadership position and Morin who ran unopposed was re-elected as Vice President-Midwest. But Morin resigned the following Monday and on Wednesday decided to continue as VP-Midwest after he was convinced by Moran to stay on and that she wouldn't accept his resignation because she needed his deciding vote to remain in office illegally after serving out her term. 

The TRO filed in Bronx County, New York was issued to prevent Vera Jr. who told Hispanic News Network U.S.A. that there "were no elections" from using Rules 12 to 21, which would allow him to actively prevent a fair election and allow Roger C. Rocha Jr. to get elected, according to the delegates. Vera Jr.'s postponement of the elections would allow the Executive Committee members and the LULAC National Board to continue serving after their term ended on July 12.
It's the first time in LULAC's 85th history that elections have been suspended at an annual national convention. A hearing on the New York TRO is set for July 28.

Rivera won the election by 60% (800 votes) of the delegate vote after quorum (825 delegates) was confirmed to continue with the elections. More than 1600 delegates had been registered and verify to vote at the 85th LULAC National Convention. Delegates were required to show a valid photo ID in order to vote, even though the LULAC Constitution or By-laws don't require it. Moran and Vera Jr. imposed the photo ID rule at the Convention.  

Some delegates in support of Rocha Jr. decided to leave the Assembly after Vera Jr. announced the postponement of the elections, but a majority of delegates stayed and reconvene the election process guaranteed by the LULAC Constitution and By-laws.

Vera Jr., and Moran are accused of conspiring in an attempt to get Rocha Jr. from Laredo, Texas elected, but since Rocha Jr. didn't have the expected turn out of delegates the elections were postponed in order to for Moran to remain in power and control of the LULAC organization.

Rosales and Elia Mendoza filed a TRO in Bexar County, Texas to prevent Rivera and other newly elected National officers from disseminating information to the membership about the election results from the Convention and accused them of trying to takeover the LULAC organization, regardless of them being active candidates for national leadership positions. 

VM also reported that over the weekend, Moran and Rosales attempted to get the Executive Committee members to approve about $120,000 to pay for Hilton Hotel rooms that were reserved for Rocha Jr.'s delegates who failed to show up. The rooms remained vacant and couldn't be rented out. The Committee didn't approve for Brent Wilkes, the executive director of the National LULAC to pay for Rocha Jr. delegates hotel bill, according to VM.

Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) has attempted to contact Moran to comment about her taking over LULAC and not recognizing the elections that took place at the Convention in New York City to no avail. HNNUSA has also reached out to Rocha Jr., Morin and Rosales for comment, but was unsuccessful. 

Rosales and Mendoza's TRO against Rivera and others is expected to be heard on August 1 in Bexar County by Judge Larry Noll. They filed in Bexar County in San Antonio hoping that their influence and connections in the Bexar judicial system can be favorable to their TRO, according to delegates.

LULAC was established in Texas and members from Texas have been reluctant to allow traditional Mexican desent and Puerto Rican members from other states to become National LULAC Presidents, other than a Mexican-American. LULAC is not owned by any particular individual, but its entire membership, voting delegates and the majority under a democracy system who get to choose the direction and future of said organization. 

Please note: 

The National LULAC Constitution, By-laws and Protocol.  Article VIII. National Officers. Section 6. Tenure of Elected Office.Subsection c. A National Officer may serve in the same office for four terms, consecutively or intermittently, if duly elected to such office, but in no case may an officer be elected to the same office for more than four one-year terms. Any move to draft or otherwise impose on the League a person who has exhausted his eligibility to hold the same office for more than the stipulated terms shall be deemed a gross violation of this Constitution.