MOB RULE in the PARTY HOUSE 

The Rise of Radical Factions and the Cost of Loyalty Tests

The Palm Beach Independent sat down with seasoned political historians in South Florida to unpack and analyze sweeping changes that began with a dismal 2020 election cycle, a 2022 resurgence (red wave), and followed by “a mob of grifters”, as one put it.

Historic wins for Palm Beach County Republicans in 2022 didn’t give Democrats reason for introspection. Instead, radicals in the county’s Party apparatus doubled down on their convictions, ostracizing moderates and driving them out. Local media outlets, including the Palm Beach Post and Sun Sentinel, openly supported party hardliners.

As Democrats were busy purging their ranks of moderates, Republicans in Palm Beach County soon found themselves embroiled in their own insurgency. What transpired illustrates how raw-emotion can trump logic and reason (no pun intended). The Republican Party of Palm Beach County was about to fall victim to its own purge-and-cleanse mob. Enter right-wing hardliners Steve Bannon and David Schultz.

Precinct Strategy Backfires

Harkening back to February 2021, Steve Bannon—presumably with noble intentions—began promoting Dan Schultz’s “Precinct Strategy“ on his War Room podcast. Stripped of its rhetoric, the mission is simple: drive out incumbent Republicans and overthrow Republican Party executive committees—no questions asked.

Despite mounting blowback and unintended consequences, Bannon and Schultz continue to push their “strategy” today, describing it as an “ongoing GOP grassroots effort.”

As one besieged party leader put it, Bannon and Schultz encourage their followers to “rush in with hair on fire, and purge with no coherent plan.” Schultz himself echoed this in his September 25, 2025, podcast, bluntly titled: “Get Mean. Plumb Mad Dog Mean.”

Whether this insurgency has produced positive results for Palm Beach County is impossible to measure with any certainty. Critics told The Palm Beach Independent that a rapid influx of emotionally charged Bannon-Schultz recruits—urged to “join, purge, and fix the bylaws”—have in practice “indiscriminately targeted well-oiled GOP operations, setting us back indefinitely.”

Republican officials and center-right outlets have reported similar fallout elsewhere: leadership infighting, procedural rabbit holes, donor flight, and grassroots campaigns grinding to a halt.

Trump’s Allies branded RINOs. Back to our timeline: in November 2022, Republican Party of Palm Beach County Chairman Michael Barnett delivered Democratic Party Chair Terrie Rizzo an election cycle shellacking unmatched in county history [Palm Beach Post][9]. Three weeks later Rizzo resigned.

2022 Red-Shift and the Mob Takeover

While Chairman Barnett was busy retooling his organization for 2021 and 2022, a small contingent of Bannon-Schultz followers began trickling into membership. At this time (2021), their numbers totaled an estimated 20 of the 280 Executive Committee members. After joining and observing, not every Bannon-Schultz recruit felt the need for a total purge. Palm Beach Independent interviewed five in early 2023—some are no longer members. Comments ranged from “Bannon sent us on an unnecessary mission” to “these RINOs persist in their treasonous love of Democrats and they’ve got to go!” One Executive Committee member described the group as a “mob of two dozen irrational hotheads.”

On April 24, 2023, Mr. Barnett announced his resignation as Chair of the Palm Beach Republican Party, citing new responsibilities as Palm Beach County Commissioner and the demands of his legal practice taking too much time away from his duties as Chair. At the time of his resignation, membership totaled 317.

In June 2023, Barnett’s resignation opened the door for Vice Chair Kevin Neal to defeat State Representative Rick Roth for Chair. Neal won by a margin of just one vote—some say two. Sources characterized Neal as another Bannon-Schultz “hothead” with no new ideas, except to “figure it out” once in office. However, documents reviewed by the Palm Beach Independent show that Neal did in fact campaign on “new ideas,” though all of the ideas or strategies he proposed were already in motion.

The following weeks and months of Neal’s chairmanship were marked by chaos. According to sources close to the events, infighting drove many hardworking members away. Members later filed a complaint with the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) after discovering that Neal’s wife (then girlfriend) advertised her matchmaking service on Instagram with the Republican Party of Palm Beach County logo and the words, “Followed By FloridaGOP” appearing under every post. The complaint alleged “reputational harm.” We could find no evidence that the RPOF took action on the matter.

Separately, a Palm Beach Independent journalist, seated at a bar in West Palm Beach, overheard two debating whether Chairman Neal slandered a fellow Executive Committee member. They alleged Neal made libelous remarks from the dais during his first meeting as Chair. The member, Dr. Anthony Ruffa, sued both Neal and the Republican Party of Palm Beach for libel.

In January 2024, Vice Chair Rick Roth called a special meeting for a no-confidence vote against Neal. The motion passed but ultimately had no effect. Dr. Ruffa later dropped the suit against the Party but continued with it against Neal. Unsealed portions of the case indicate the two men reached a settlement ‘stipulation.’ While details remain sealed, sources told The Palm Beach Independent that the agreement requires Neal never to run again for Chair of the Republican Party of Palm Beach County.

Newsweek — “Republicans in Disarray in Donald Trump’s Backyard” (Jan 18, 2024). Mentions Ruffa’s libel suit and the Oct. 19 meeting remarks at issue.

March 2024 – Fundraising Under Chairman Neal

During Chairman Neal’s tenure, the Party raised a record $1 million through a single event—the annual Lincoln Day Dinner. Gross sales reportedly exceeded the prior year’s event by $200,000. To achieve this, Neal appointed himself Chair of the Events Committee, though he soon faced public criticism from his board and staff for starting the process too late.

After some pressure, Neal eventually mobilized his team. To boost ticket sales, he invited wealthy local Democrats, some of whom purchased tables at $10,000 each.

While Neal floated ideas for additional fundraising events, The Palm Beach Independent was told that his poor organizational skills and mismanagement led to missed deadlines, canceled events, and even forfeited venue deposits. According to a member who recently left the Executive Committee before relocating out of state, no other fundraising events were held. In the end, Neal’s net revenue was no greater than Michael Barnett’s 2022 numbers. Current and former candidates and members, speaking anonymously, described Neal’s spending as “reckless and unreasoned.”

December 2024 – Succession Drama

By the end of Neal’s chairmanship, his election cycle results were no better than Barnett’s in 2022—even with the advantage of Donald Trump’s coattails. Neal, who campaigned on a promise to deliver Palm Beach County to Trump, failed to do so.

His successor, Party legal counsel and close ally Carl Cascio, was left with insufficient funds to support candidates in the March municipal elections or even to place a deposit for the next Lincoln Day Dinner

Cascio was elected Chair in December 2024 by a rumored margin of 11 votes. Party members interviewed by The Palm Beach Independent could not agree on the final tally and accused election organizers of placing identifying marks on select ballots—suggesting foul play. If true, this would be deeply hypocritical for a party so focused on election integrity.

Sources also report that at least two dozen members walked out immediately following the vote, many of whom later resigned. Executive Committee membership is now estimated at 240, down from a high of 317 when Chairman Barnett resigned in 2023.

2025 – Hypocrisy & Strange Bedfellows – A Year of Reflection

Returning to our “strange bedfellows” investigation, the Republican Party of Palm Beach County appears to practice a “rules for thee, not for me” strategy. While the Bannon-Schultz crowd purges so-called “RINOs” (Republicans in Name Only) and expels members who collaborate with Democrats, party leadership itself has been caught working with the so-called “enemy.“

Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Democrat David Kerner to head Florida’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

These examples highlight a growing disconnect between the Bannon-Schultz hardliners and their ultimate party leader, President Trump. Are the Bannon-Schultz activists truly following the MAGA movement? Are Steve Bannon and Donald Trump on the same page? Today, there is talk of the “Bannon-Schultz mob” planning to primary incumbent Republicans in retaliation for “working with Democrats.” If so, will they also reject their Governor and President for doing same?

Bannon-Schultz: The Final Analysis

The unintended consequence of the Bannon-Schultz strategy is that its benefits will accrue to Democrats. One member of the mob, in an email to undisclosed recipients, emphatically declared: “[…] it is better to have a Democrat in office than an incumbent Republican who votes with Democrats—even if just 10 percent of the time.”

A Note About NTG Consultants

The Palm Beach Independent has learned that NTG administrative assistant Gretchen Feng—a registered Republican and relatively new Executive Committee member—introduced Kevin Neal to Democrat Norman Taplin and his team. NTG, headquartered in the same building as the Republican Party of Palm Beach County, is an advocate for the insurance industry and attributes its success to close relationships with federal, state, and local officials nationwide.

NTG staff includes Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and NPAs. The “G” in NTG stands for cofounder Barry Goldwater Jr., himself a registered Republican. For decades, under NTG, GTG, and other variations, Taplin, his firm, and its principals have donated to both major parties, independents, and NPAs. Contributions range from Kamala Harris ($6,600 in 2023) and Adam Schiff ($500 in 2023) to Donald Trump ($5,000 in 2016).

In a lengthy interview published in Demotech Magazine (Fall 2024, Vol. 10, No. 4), Taplin insisted his firm is not a lobbying shop. Technically, NTG is not registered federally, though it relies heavily on outside lobbyists. The Palm Beach Independent found:

NTG – In Conclusion: We see no wrongdoing in the relationship between NTG Consulting and the Republican Party of Palm Beach County. However, it is the opinion of The Palm Beach Independent that the party’s acceptance of Democrats while simultaneously purging members and incumbents for similar associations is duplicitous. It reeks of hypocrisy.

As stated earlier, the current leadership’s “rules for thee, not for me” approach insults members and volunteers who work tirelessly to elect Republicans. We fail to see how this shallow strategy will attract serious candidates or donors in future elections.

One Democrat precinct captain in central Palm Beach County put it plainly: “…we [are watching] closely as Republicans eat their own—and we look forward to a successful 2026 and 2028.”

Editor’s Note

The Palm Beach Independent finds that the Bannon-Schultz strategy has produced a chaos, division and disillusionment that ultimately benefits Democrats. By embracing double standards and driving out their own, local party leaders risk reversing the red wave and weakening the very movement they claim to be saving.