A complaint filed against a candidate in the race to be the GOP nominee for House District 61 is "frivolous and wholly without merit" and has been dismissed, according to statements from the Utah County Republican Party's executive committee.

In strong language, committee members condemned the complaint and the fact that the man who filed it, Richard Jaussi, discussed the matter with the news media.

Jaussi's complaint alleged that Garr Judd, one of three candidates seeking to be the District 61 Republican nominee, improperly used his status as a party officer to influence those who decide the nomination and that he tried to keep a competitor, John Tinsley, from passing out campaign literature at GOP events.

"The Executive Committee unanimously and unconditionally found the allegations in Mr. Jaussi's complaint to be frivolous and wholly without merit," states the committee's report, which was released Thursday.

"The complaint and the conduct of Mr. Jaussi in broadcasting such unfounded claims through the media appeared to be politically motivated to discredit fellow Republican Garr Judd."

Responded Jaussi: "My complaint was 100 percent factual. Everything I said was true. I was there."

In a statement, Judd said he was pleased with the findings.

"We are glad to put this behind us and hope that the remainder of the campaign will be positive and upbeat for all candidates," he said. "When I decided to run it was on principle and values and I will continue to do so."

Jaussi, education chair of Legislative District 64, has acknowledged that he is a Tinsley supporter. Judd, Tinsley and Keith Grover are competing to represent the party in November's elections.

The complaint was based around the fact that Judd is also the legislative chair of District 61 and must take a leave of absence from those duties while running for office -- which he did, according to the report.

A training session for people running the local GOP caucus meeting took place at Judd's house March 14, though, which Jaussi's complaint said was improper. He also alleged that Judd prevented Tinsley's campaign from displaying campaign literature.

The report notes that District 61 party officers Dean Hawker and Lisa Shepard conducted the training, and that "Mr. Judd took no part in the meeting, speaking only to introduce Mr. Tinsley."

As for the location, all training meetings had been conducted at Judd's home during his six years as district chairman. Tinsley declined an offer to host the meeting at his home, the report states, and "the Executive Committee found that Mr. Judd did nothing dishonest, unethical, illegal, or in violation of any Party bylaws."

Furthermore, it was Shepard, not Judd, who stopped Tinsley's campaign from displaying literature "because literature from the other two candidates in the race ... was not going to be displayed," according to the report.

"She did not say that," said Jaussi, disputing that version of events. While it's true that Judd and Grover didn't have campaign literature at the event, he said it was Judd who stopped Tinsley from displaying his materials.

"Mr. Judd intervened and prevented Mr. Tinsley's campaign from being displayed (sic)," states Jaussi's complaint. "Mr. Judd spoke to Mr. Tinsley's staff member in open hearing of those in attendance and said: 'Not in my house.' "

Jaussi said he's not going to pursue the matter further, and emphasized that he did not have political motives in filing the complaint.

"Had Mr. Tinsley done the same thing, I would've done the same actions," he said. "I felt it was my duty as a member of the central committee to do what the bylaws state."

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page D1.