Maine Ron Paul supporter fears he's being smeared

Yesterday at 10:50 PM Mark Willis says his own party's leaders are wrongly questioning his eligibility on the national committee.

By Kevin Miller kmiller@mainetoday.com Washington Bureau Chief

WASHINGTON A Maine representative to the Republican National Committee is accusing national party leaders of running a smear campaign to oust him from the committee, even as he wages his own longshot bid to become the national party's next chairman.

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Mark Willis

Staff File Photo

Five months ago, Mark Willis lost his delegate seat at the Republican National Convention in Tampa because of his outspoken support for presidential candidate Ron Paul.

Now, other Republican National Committee members question whether Willis is eligible to represent Maine on the committee -- let alone run for RNC chairman -- because he was listed as Paul's running mate on Maine's official list of declared write-in candidates last November.

Failure to support the party's presidential nominee is grounds for removal from the committee under RNC rules.

But Willis said he had no hand in his name appearing as a write-in candidate for vice president -- a claim confirmed by the man who filed the original paperwork -- and Willis insisted he supported Republican nominee Mitt Romney after the convention.

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Maine Ron Paul supporter fears he's being smeared