Shawn Steel

Shawn Steel (born c. 1946) is the Republican National Committee Member from California since 2008.[1] He was voted by his colleagues to the Executive Committee of the Republican National Committee in 2018. Steel served as Sergeant at Arm at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio in 2016.[2] In 2012 he served as Deputy Permanent Co-Chairmen of the Convention.[3] He was elected as Chairman of the California Republican Party from 2001-2003.[4]

Shawn Steel
Chair of the California Republican Party
In office
February 25, 2001 – February 22, 2003
Preceded byJohn McGraw
Succeeded byDuf Sundheim
Personal details
Born1946 (age 73–74)
California, U.S.
Spouse(s)Michelle Park
EducationCalifornia State University, Northridge (BA)
University of Southern California (MA)
Northrop University (JD)

As the California Republican Party Chairman, Steel was the co-founder of the successful recall of Governor Gray Davis in 2003.[4][5][6][7][8][9] Gov. Davis was recalled via a Recall Petition in which Steel was the first signatory of over 1,000,000 signatures.[4][5][6][7][9][8]

Steel is a frequent guest on CNN, Fox, and local Los Angeles media. He published over 50 articles in a variety of publications ranging from the Wall Street Journal, San Diego Union, Sacramento Bee, Orange County Register, and Washington Times.[10][11][12][13][14]

Steel is a trial attorney specializing in personal injury law and pioneered a specialty representing alternative health care providers, particularly chiropractors and acupuncturists.[15] He regularly teaches at Palmer West Chiropractic, Life Chiropractic College West and Southern California University of Health Sciences and frequent lecturer for doctors re-licensing credit through California. Shawn Steel Law Firm, is located in Seal Beach, California.

Early life

Steel graduated from Van Nuys High School growing up in the San Fernando Valley. Steel's lifetime of conservative political activism began 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. Steel was statewide Chairman of Youth for Reagan for high school students. Steel became state Chairman of California of 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 University in Torrance, California.

California Republican Party

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.[9]

Career highlights
  • 2019 – Recipient of the Presidential Award from California Chiropractic Association[16]
  • 2017 – Elected by Western States RNC Member to the RNC Executive Committee
  • 2008 – Elected as RNC California Committeeman
  • 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 University-Kansas City in Los Angeles. He also is a regular lecturer at Palmer College of Chiropractic in San Jose and Southern California University of Health Services in Whittier. He was appointed by Republican Governor Pete Wilson to the California State Acupuncture Board.[17] He was appointed in 1993 and served until 2000.[18] Steel was elected by his peers as Chairman of the Acupuncture Board for two one-year terms.[19]

Private practice

Steel's personal injury practice, Shawn Steel Law Firm, is based in Seal Beach, California.[15]

Steel is known for having broken significant legal ground by representing family members of the notorious Jonestown massacre in Guyana in his early practice.[20][21] More recently he has filed lawsuits against University of California, Berkeley seeking to protect First Amendment Freedom of Speech rights.[22][23]

Personal life

Steel’s wife is Michelle Park Steel, a politician. She serves on the Orange County Board of Supervisors. She was first elected in 2006 as a Member of the California Board of Equalization.[24] They have two children, Cheyenne Park Steel Klotz and Siobhan Cheong Steel.

References
  1. "National Committeeman Shawn Steel". GOP. Retrieved 2019-09-26.
  2. "RNC Announces Sergeant-at-Arms For Republican National Convention". GOP. 2016-07-06. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  3. "Recommended Officers for the Republican National Convention". GOP. 2012-08-22. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  4. Mathews, Joe (2006). The People's Machine: Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Rise of Blockbuster Democracy. United States of America: PublicAffairs. pp. xiii, 110, 115. ISBN 9781586482725.
  5. Laffer, Arthur; Moore, Stephen; Tanous, Peter (2008). The End of Prosperity: How Higher Taxes Will Doom the Economy--If We Let It Happen. New York: Threshold Editions, A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. p. 164. ISBN 9781416592389.
  6. Cashill, Jack (2007). What's the Matter with California?: Cultural Rumbles from the Golden State and Why the Rest of Us Should Be Shaking. New York: Threshold Editions, A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. p. 100. ISBN 9781416531036.
  7. Gerston, Larry; Christensen, Terry (2015). Recall!: California's Political Earthquake: California's Political Earthquake. London & New York: Routledge. p. 56. ISBN 9780765614575.
  8. Bradley, Bill (2003-02-13). "Taking Down Gray". LA Weekly. Retrieved 2019-09-26.
  9. "GOP Hope: Dump Davis". Los Angeles Times. 2003-02-18. Retrieved 2019-09-26.
  10. "Utility monopoly demands more corporate welfare". Orange County Register. 2018-08-06. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  11. Register, Shawn Steel | Orange County (2019-03-15). "Conservative lawyers steal page from progressive playbook". Orange County Register. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  12. "Shawn Steel makes the "Notable & Quotable" Section of the WSJ! | FlashReport". www.flashreport.org. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  13. "Shawn Steel Archives". Ethan Bearman's Blog. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  14. SCOTUS says Muslim travel ban is legal, sidesteps religious animus question | Omar Noureldin on CNN, retrieved 2019-10-17
  15. "Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyers & Accident Attorneys | Shawn Steel Law Firm". www.shawnsteel.com. Retrieved 2019-09-26.
  16. "Presidential Award". California Chiropractic Association. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
  17. California. Legislature. Senate (1997). Journal of the Senate, Legislature of the State of California, 1997-98 Regular Session. Sacramento: California State Printing Office. p. 3979.
  18. California Legislature (1993). Journals of the Legislature of the State of California, Volume 1, Issue 2. Sacramento: California State Printing Office. p. 3556.
  19. California. Dept. of Consumer Affairs (1995). Annual Report - The Consumer. Sacramento: California. Dept. of Consumer Affairs. p. 17.
  20. "Order Assuming Jurisdiction of Winding Up of Peoples Temple (Text) – Alternative Considerations of Jonestown & Peoples Temple". Retrieved 2020-04-10.
  21. User, Super. "Chiropractic PI Attorneys; Personal Injury Accident Lawyers | Shawn Steel Law Firm". www.shawnsteel.com. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
  22. Staff, Matthew Lo | (2018-01-17). "Lawyers say suit against UC Berkeley targets lack of intellectual diversity". The Daily Californian. Retrieved 2019-09-27.
  23. "Milo Yiannopoulos Ticket Holders Sue Over Injuries Sustained During UC Berkeley Riot". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 2019-09-27.
  24. "Orange County, California - Biography". www.ocgov.com. Retrieved 2019-09-27.
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