CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Chairman of the GOP Convention Host Committee spoke out Thursday for the first time about the Charlotte City Council’s recent discussion about possibly pulling out of the Republican National Convention next year.
Chairman John Lassiter, who is a former Republican City council member and unsuccessful candidate for mayor, said he could say very little about the Council’s discussions.
“I can’t make any political statement but the council believed in the event in January of 2018 and voted 9 to 2 to approve it," he said.
Lassiter said last summer the Council again reaffirmed holding the convention in Charlotte and indicated there could be severe legal problems if the city backed out now.
“We’ve got a contract in place and obligations to bring the convention to our city and do what we can to promote our community,” Lassiter said.
The host committee has a goal of enlisting 8,000 volunteers by next year to work the convention. Lassiter said President Trump’s recent comments that some have labeled as racist have not hurt the effort to recruit volunteers who will be in place from the airport to the convention hall.
“They will help people looking for their bags at baggage claim, getting a shuttle bus, and arriving at their hotels, walking down the street looking for a good meal or finding something new,” he said.
Lassiter said he thought a year from now people would come around to believe the convention really would be a good thing for the city.
The convention will take place from August 24-27, 2020 at Spectrum Center in uptown.