Update on the USCF Election

In my first post on the 2009 USCF Executive Board election (see Odd Year Means USCF Election, I listed the lawsuits facing the U.S. federation, along with reports from New York Times' chess columnist Dylan Loeb McClain. The Executive Director of the USCF, Bill Hall, recently provided an update on the suits.

• 2009-03-25: Report to the USCF Membership Regarding Current Litigation • 'The USCF is currently involved in six lawsuits. I have listed them below in the order of filing.' (main.uschess.org)

McClain also reported on partial closure of two lawsuits.

• 2009-01-14: A Lawsuit Against Chess Officials Lingers on • 'A lawsuit filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against the United States Chess Federation, its officials and members of the federation has largely been dismissed. But, in a decision on Dec. 29, Judge J. Curtis Joyner, the presiding judge in the case, let stand potential charges of libel and conspiracy against Susan Polgar and Paul Truong, two members of the board who are married.' (gambit.blogs.nytimes.com)
  
  
• 2009-02-20: Some Claims in Lawsuit Against Federation Are Dismissed; Others Are Still Pending • 'Some claims in a Texas lawsuit against the United States Chess Federation, some of its officials and other members of the federation have been dismissed, but other claims remain. The lawsuit by Susan Polgar, a member of the federation’s board, arose out of a dispute that began in 2007 when Samuel H. Sloan, a former member of the board, filed a lawsuit in Federal District Court in Manhattan accusing Ms. Polgar and her husband, Paul Truong, who is also on the board, of posting nasty remarks on the Internet in Mr. Sloan’s name'(gambit.blogs.nytimes.com)

In my second post on the election (see USCF Election Means Odd Year), I gave some background on the election and listed the 11 candidates who filed to run. The USCF published the first round of Executive Board Candidate Statements (uschess.org) in the April 2009 issue of Chess Life. The online statements are available only to USCF members and, although I haven't been able to find a public copy, links to sites for three candidates are open to the public.

• RuthHaring.com
  
• Brian Lafferty's USCF Election Blog
  
• Brian Mottershead's USCF Election Blog (currently empty)

While no one is talking openly about slates, it appears that the Polgar/Truong faction of the Executive Board favors four candidates over the others.

• 11 candidates for the next EB election (susanpolgar.blogspot.com) • 'Anonymous said... Nietman is not a bad choice. Lugo and Korenman are also good choices. I would like to know more about Haring and Hecht.'• 'Bookie said... Here are my choices by order of competence: 1. Lugo 2. Korenman 3. Nietman 4. Hecht [...]' • 'Anonymous said... [...] Here is the best way to vote. Eric Hecht. Mikhail Korenman. Blas Lugo. Mike Nietman [...]' • 'Anonymous said... I've eliminated Lafferty and Mottershead [...] Goichberg and Jim Berry [...] Sam Sloan [...] Ruth Haring [...] The remaining candidates are: Mike Nietman. Mikhail Korenman. Blas Lugo. Eric Hecht.' • 'Chewy said... I should add that my vote for Hecht, Lugo and Korenman are solid. Rock Solid. The only other one to consider pass would be Nietman.'

Anonymous comments, often petty, mean, and insulting, appear frequently in Susan Polgar's blog. • To be continued...