MassGOP Moves to Silence New England Conservative Coalition During State Committee Meeting

Tensions boiled over at Thursday night’s Massachusetts Republican Party State Committee meeting when party leadership moved to silence the New England Conservative Coalition (NECC), a fast-growing grassroots organization committed to transparency and conservative reform within the party.

The incident began when State Committeeman Sean Powers made a motion to halt NECC’s video recording of the meeting, a practice the coalition says is intended to show Republican voters how their elected representatives conduct official business. Although no formal vote was taken, the motion was quickly seconded, prompting MassGOP Chairwoman Amy Carnevale to intervene.

“Multiple members of the committee have objected to their recording,” Carnevale said. “According to Massachusetts law, I ask recording to cease.” Immediately following her statement, State Committeeman Tom Mountain — the party’s former Vice Chair who previously resigned amid allegations of inappropriate conversations with minors — demanded that the individual recording identify themselves, escalating tensions further. NECC Chair Christopher Thibeault strongly criticized the leadership’s actions, calling them an attack on the core principles the Republican Party claims to uphold.

Sean Powers Making Motion to Turn Off Recording

“The hypocrisy within a party that’s supposed to stand for free speech and preaches grassroots activism is staggering,” Thibeault said. “They censored my grassroots group and our freedom of speech. Republican voters deserve to see the true colors of our state committee — which is purple at best.”

The New England Conservative Coalition, formerly known as the Massachusetts Republican Coalition, rebranded after the MassGOP blocked a vote to grant it formal chartered status. Since then, the NECC has rapidly expanded its influence across the state, managing more than five Facebook organizing hubs, holding regular chapter meetings from Cape Cod to the Berkshires, and running a popular website that draws hundreds of viewers each month. The coalition also produces multiple web-based video series on YouTube, further amplifying its message and expanding its digital reach.

With its emphasis on local activism, transparency, and conservative values, the NECC has positioned itself as a rising force within Massachusetts politics. Thursday night’s events have only fueled speculation that MassGOP leadership views the coalition’s growing popularity as a threat to its internal power structure.

As grassroots conservatives demand greater accountability from party insiders, the confrontation between the New England Conservative Coalition and the Massachusetts Republican Party appears far from over.