On Thursday night, the executive committee of the Utah County Republican party dismissed all allegations against its chairman that he inappropriately participated in a Provo election.

The committee called the hearing because of Taylor Oldroyd's participation in the StopCindy.com campaign aimed at recently defeated Provo Councilwoman Cindy Richards. Oldroyd has said all along that he was doing it as a citizen and member of the Utah County Association of Realtors.

But some on the committee felt Oldroyd had crossed the line because he was also the party chairman and therefore dragged the party into a non-partisan race.

The committee met behind closed doors for more than two hours Thursday, debating the issue before coming out to announce their decision that they "unanimously dismissed the complaint because the alleged infraction did not violate the party's constitution and bylaws."

"Every single hand was raised in support of this motion [to dismiss]," said Mark Cluff, the evening's acting chairman. Even Oldroyd was allowed to cast a vote because of the committee's rules.

"We had a lot of good discussion on both sides," Cluff said.

Oldroyd and others declined to comment late Thursday night, instead referring to the statement from the committee.

A formal complaint was filed against Oldroyd last month, "for his persistent public involvement in the negative StopCindy.com campaign." It read, in part: "Taylor is the face and the voice of the Utah County Republican Party, and he is widely recognized as such. His involvement in this campaign automatically implicates the party. To have the name of our party attached to such blatantly derogatory activity is inappropriate and embarrassing, and this negative association must stop."

At an Oct. 23 meeting to discuss the complaint, the committee agreed to Thursday's hearing. The county Republican Party hasn't lost a race in more than a decade, which has concentrated much of the valley's political power inside the GOP.

Related

• Setting record straight on Provo Council
• Missteps haunt Oldroyd
• Days before election, a Provo race gets murkier
• Accusations fly among county GOP leaders
• Big money wins big in Provo election