President-elect Donald Trump gestures as he speaks during the first stop of his post-election tour, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in Cincinnati. | AP Photo Trump RNC co-chair pick accused of breaking party rules in Ohio fight Bob Paduchik, Trump's pick to co-chair the Republican National Committee, urged Ohio GOP members to oust the state chairman.

A state GOP central committee member in Ohio has accused a top Republican National Committee official of breaking party rules by interfering in the contentious race for state party chairman, which has become a proxy war between allies of President-elect Donald Trump and those loyal to GOP Gov. John Kasich and the existing party leadership.

Matt Borges, the Ohio GOP chairman, only tepidly supported Trump during the 2016 presidential election and is facing a strong challenge for reelection Friday from Jane Timken. Bob Paduchik, Trump's Ohio state director, whom the president-elect tapped as the deputy co-chair of the Republican National Committee after his election, wrote a letter to Republican central committee members in December urging them to back Timken.


But Betty Montgomery, one of the 66 GOP central committee members who will choose between Borges and Timken to chair the party, on Thursday filed a formal complaint with the RNC accusing Paduchik of breaking party rules by working to help elect Timken.

"The time is late but I would ask that you immediately bring this violations [sic] to the attention of the RNC and its Chair," Montgomery wrote in the complaint. "I would ask that Mr. Paduchik be instructed to IMMEDIATELY cease such activity and that he cease all communication with State Central Committee members , county chairs and donors on the subject of this election."

Montgomery accused Paduchik in the complaint of violating the RNC's Rule 11, which bars the RNC from contributing "money or in-kind aid to any candidate for any public or party office of that state" without the written approval of the state's RNC members. She cited Paduchik's letter, which he signed as "deputy co-chair, Republican National Committee."

"President-elect Trump supports Jane Timken to be the next chairman of the ORP," Paduchik wrote in the letter, referring to the Ohio Republican Party. "He has directed me to assist her campaign and has offered his support as needed."

Montgomery emailed the complaint to John Ryder, the RNC's general counsel, as well as Jo Ann Davidson and Jim Dicke, Ohio's RNC Committee members. She said in an interview that she had not received a response yet and that she regretted not complaining sooner than a day before the election.

"I just felt I need to say, look, what is the national committee doing being involved in this?'" Montgomery said in an interview.

"I don't think any state wants to be told how to run its internal elections by Washington," she added.

Montgomery, a former state senator, auditor and attorney general, is backing Borges in Friday's chairmanship race, which is expected to be close. She said she had always considered Paduchik a friend but that she hoped the RNC would force Paduchik to avoid interfering in the rest of the race.

"I'm hoping they at least call Bob and tell him immediately to cease and desist," she said.

Paduchik and the RNC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.