ALAMOSA — A March 30 post on the Alamosa County Republicans’ Facebook site resulted in state and national news coverage, an apology from the county party and the removal of David Broyles from local party leadership.

Alamosa County Republicans Chairman Sandra Wagner stated on Monday that Broyles, who also sits on the Alamosa city council, “is no longer part of the Alamosa County Republican Party leadership.” She added, “He has been removed from our website, as well.”

On March 30 Broyles had posted: “Out of self-respect--be Republican. Democrats love poor people because they think that poor people will vote Democrat. Republicans hate poor people because they think the dignity of man is above being poor.”

The post resulted in media headlines such as Newsweek’s “’REPUBLICANS HATE POOR PEOPLE’: COLORADO GOP GROUP APOLOGIZES FOR SOCIAL MEDIA POST,” and 9News’: “Alamosa GOP apologizes for post saying ‘Republicans hate poor people’.”

The Alamosa County Republicans on March 31 posted this apology: “Hate has no home here. On behalf of the Alamosa County Republicans, and as the chair of that organization, please accept this apology for the inappropriate and offensive post made on this site on March 30, 2018.  The author acted independently and without the concurrence of any other member of the Alamosa County Republicans. The regrettable post was made with the intention of condemning poverty, not persons affected by poverty, and was not meant to insult anyone. However, that occurred, and the author sincerely regrets the post and has offered his resignation from his position with the Alamosa County Republicans, which has been accepted. Actions have consequences.”

Broyles stated that his post and his intention had been misunderstood.

“Read the entire sentence in the post,” he stated. “The intent of the sentence is about hating the ‘conditions’ of poor people, or the ‘plight’ of poor people, because the dignity of man is above being poor. The sentence makes no sense interpreting it another way. It is a statement about hating poverty, not about hating poor people.”

Broyles added, “Several people have said they understood the post. The post is about man rising above poverty. It is about helping people get out of poverty.”

He added that there was no misconduct with his post, no law broken and no crime committed. “No person was hurt. At worst, it is a misinterpretation by some and the social media from what was intended to be said,” he stated.

Chairman Wagner stated that if Broyles provided further comments on his original post, it was as a private citizen, not representing the party leadership.