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Sierra Club resources used for unfair - illegal electioneering against Dick Lamm, Frank Morris, David Pimentel, and other petition candidatesLike their counterparts in the for-profit corporate world, the entrenched Sierra Club 'old guard' directors and chief executive are understandably reluctant to lose control of the $80 million per year Sierra Club operation to people they regard as upstarts from the membership at large. They understand that if three additional independent Petition Candidates are elected in March of 2004, the independent directors will have a majority of board seats. Sierra Club CEO Carl Pope knows that if this happens, his job performance will be under increased scrutiny. Club rules require him to refrain from influencing the election of board members in any way. He has disregarded that rule as well as California state law. Larry Fahn and other 'old guard' directors have every right to endorse candidates and campaign for them fairly as individuals. But they are prohibited by Sierra Club bylaws and California state law from using resources that belong to the Sierra Club's members to campaign for or against candidates or groups of candidates. Old guard directors are violating these bylaws and state laws. They are abusing their positions to influence the outcome of the March, 2004 election. They are doing all they can to get their Nominating Committee candidates voted in, and keep grassroots Petition Candidates from being elected. As documented in Richard Lamm v. Larry Fahn and other sources, the alleged unfair and illegal election practices include:
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