Brockton Republican City Committee takes legal action against Geoff Diehl

The committee has filed a motion in Plymouth Superior Court for a temporary restraining order against Diehl’s efforts to conduct a meeting to “replace” the existing committee, something they say is in violation of Massachusetts Republican State Committee (MRSC) bylaws.

In a letter to committee members on Monday, Committee Chair Larry Novak said Diehl was taking advantage of MassGOP bylaws to restructure the Brockton committee.

“This fight is not only about control of the committee’s name: it is about who chooses our delegates and whose views those delegates are expected to carry, local Brockton Republicans, or one state party officer who wishes to impose his own viewpoint on the rest of us,” wrote Novak, who is also both the former Vice-Chair and Treasurer of the Massachusetts Republican Party.

Diehl, who is also a Republican state Committeeman (Second Plymouth & Norfolk), and local Brockton Republican Stephen Pina, issued a Master Notice of Ward Committee Organizational Meetings earlier this month claiming the Brockton Republican City Committee and its seven ward committees were subject to reorganization due to not meeting in a timely fashion and claims that some members were not properly elected. The committee tells the Herald it never received the letter from Diehl in the 15 days before the meeting, as required by state law.

Diehl says the meetings, set for December 30, are all in the effort of building up the Republican Party in the City of Champions.

“These meetings are being convened due to the failure of one or more Ward Committees to be properly elected and/or organized in accordance with Massachusetts law and the Massachusetts Republican State Committee By-Laws,” the notice letter sent by Diehl reads, going on to call for a vote to elect a Ward Committee Chair and “any other necessary officers.”

Diehl declined a phone interview with the Herald about the legal action, but did provide a written statement defending his move to reorganize the Brockton committee.

“Acting in my capacity as a member of the Republican State Committee, I’ve begun organizing a city within my district and with the help of Stephen Pina, a recently elected Republican in Brockton. Stephen and I are working within the by-laws of the State Committee and Massachusetts General Law to build a stronger, more competitive Republican Party in Brockton,” Diehl said. “Anyone trying to make an issue out of this clearly has zero interest in growing our Republican Party and promoting our conservative values. These political elite smear pushers are no better than the far left.”

The move comes as Republican candidates in statewide elections battle for delegates ahead of the 2026 Massachusetts Republican Convention, set for April 26.

Novak tells the Herald he believes Diehl is trying to harvest delegates for GOP gubernatorial candidate Mike Minogue.

“I think this is over delegates. Brockton has 49 delegates. Diehl cannot control the Senate district if Brockton comes out strongly against him and Randolph. There’s 20 delegates in Randolph,” Novak told the Herald. Diehl has endorsed Minogue.

“The Minogue Campaign evidently doesn’t play politics fairly. We believe that people should make the choice of who their delegates are. We were voted, the committee, by the people of Brockton and elected by the people of Brockton. Geoff Diehl is trying to end that and we are going to fight as hard as we can to see that justice is done,” he said.

The Herald has reached out to the Minogue campaign for a response to Novak’s claims.

Novak also says the committee plans on filing an amended complaint to seek financial damages related to “legal costs and harm” he says was caused by Diehl.

“We also plan to pursue further injunctive relief in court, asking if any party’s bylaws that claim to give Mr. Diehl the power to shut or replace a duly elected city or town committee be declared illegal and unenforceable where they conflict with Massachusetts statutes governing political committees,” Novak said.

A hearing before a single justice has been scheduled for December 29 at the Brockton Superior Court House.