Shawn Steel

Shawn Steel
Republican National Committeeman for California, Former Chairman of the California Republican Party
In office
2001 (CRP Chair) – 2003
Preceded by John McGraw
Succeeded by Duf Sundheim
Personal details
Born Shawn Steel
c. 1946
California, U.S.
Alma mater California State University, Northridge
Northrop University
University of Southern California
Occupation Lawyer
Known for Recall of Former CA Governor Gray Davis

Shawn Steel (born c. 1946) is the Republican National Committeeman from California.[1] Steel challenged the Treasurer of the RNC and won at the California Republican Party state convention with a 61 to 39% vote with over 1200 ballots cast. Steel also was the first RNC member to formally endorse, former Lt. Governor Michael Steele, who was elected as Chairman of the Republican National Committee in February 2009.

Steel practices personal injury law in his private practice, Shawn Steel Law Firm, located in Seal Beach, California.[2]

Steel is the author of over 40 articles and chapters in books, regarding personal injury and alternative health care. He is a frequent lecturer for doctors re-licensing credit throughout California. The Governor appointed Steel to serve on the California Acupuncture Board, where he served for 7 years. His colleagues elected Steel as Chairman of that Board for two years in a row. Steel has testified to the legislature, regarding changing laws impacting patient rights.

Early life

Steel graduated from Van Nuys High School in 1964 growing up in the San Fernando Valley. Steel's lifetime of conservative political activism began in 1964 as a leader in the San Fernando Valley Youth for Goldwater [YFG]. YFG was a youth group supporting Barry M. Goldwater of Arizona for the U.S. presidency. After the Goldwater defeat he helped form numerous chapters of Young Americans for Freedom [YAF] in the Los Angeles region in 1965. In 1966, Steel was statewide chairman of Youth for Reagan, for high school students, Ronald Reagan for governor of California. In 1967, Steel became state chairman of California YAF.

Education

Steel received his Bachelor of Arts degree, with California state teaching credentials, from California State University, Northridge, his Master of Arts from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, and his Juris Doctor from Northrop Law School.

California Republican Party

Steel was elected Treasurer of the California Republican Party in 1995 and served 2 two-year terms. In 1999 he won a contested election for the CRP's Vice Chair position. In 2001 in a rematch, former Assemblyman Brooks Firestone challenged Steel for the CRP's chairman's position. Seven years later Steel challenged the sitting Treasurer of the Republican National Committee [RNC] Tim Morgan. On February 24, 2008. He won against incumbent Tim Morgan, 590–38.

As California Republican Party Chairman, Steel was a co-founder of the Recall Davis movement. Along with Ted Costa, of Peoples Advocate, they were responsible for organizing the recall campaign against Governor Davis. The success of the recall resulted in Arnold Schwarzenegger's election as governor.

Steel was criticized by senior California Republican leaders as well as national leaders. Corporate raider Gerry Parsky, and President George W. Bush's unofficial representative in California questioned the strategy of recalling Gray Davis. Some party leaders objected to Steel's efforts to unseat Davis, fearing it was too risky. Steel at the CRP convention in February 2003 convinced an overwhelming majority to endorse the Recall, thus turning the tide for the recall campaign.[3]

California Club for Growth

In 2004, Steel and former California State Assemblyman Tony Strickland formed the California Club for Growth, which is designed to promote free market Republican candidates.

Career highlights

  • 2017 – Elected by Western States RNC Member to the RNC Executive Committee
  • 2008 – Elected as RNC California Committeeman
  • 2005 – Winner of Stonewall Award for Fiction
  • 2003 – Cofounded the successful recall campaign against then incumbent Democrat Governor Gray Davis
  • 2001–2003 – Chairman of the California Republican Party

Public service

Steel teaches Ethics and Jurisprudence at Cleveland Chiropractic College in Los Angeles. He also is a regular lecturer at Palmer College of Chiropractic West [San Jose] and Southern California University of Health Services [Whittier]. He was appointed by Republican Governor Pete Wilson to the California State Acupuncture Board. He was appointed in 1995 and served until 2000. Steel was elected by his peers as Chairman of the Acupuncture Board for two one-year terms.[4]

Private practice

Steel's personal injury practice, the Shawn Steel Law Firm, is based in Orange County, California.[5]

Steel is known for having broken significant legal ground by representing family members of the notorious Jonestown massacre in Guyana in his early practice. More recently he has filed lawsuits against University of California, Berkeley seeking to protect First Amendment Freedom of Speech rights.[6][7]

Private life

Steel’s wife, Michelle Park Steel served as Chairwoman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors from 2017–2018. She was first elected in 2006 as a Member of the California Board of Equalization.

References

  1. ↑ Mathews, Joe (2006). The people's machine: Arnold Schwarzenegger and the rise of blockbuster democracy. PublicAffairs. pp. 115–. ISBN 978-1-58648-272-5. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  2. ↑ http://www.shawnsteel.com
  3. ↑ http://www.steelzone.org/bio.php
  4. ↑ http://www.shawnsteel.com/index.php/firm-profile/
  5. ↑ http://www.shawnsteel.com/
  6. ↑ http://www.dailycal.org/2018/01/17/plaintiffs-lawyers-suing-uc-berkeley-clarify-details-say-police-did-not-follow-protocol/
  7. ↑ https://www.buzzfeed.com/blakemontgomery/people-injured-at-berkeley-riot-file-lawsuit
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.