The majority of the Progressive Conservative riding association in Yarmouth has resigned, saying they feel railroaded by a bylaw preventing people with a criminal record from seeking party office.

St. Clair Crosby, who has been "mixed up with the party for 65 years," says he stepped down as riding president last week after he was informed of the new bylaw by the party's top brass.

Crosby alleges the bylaw was enacted when the party's executive found out Richard Hurlburt, a former MLA, might run for president of the Progressive Conservative riding association.

The former cabinet minister pleaded guilty to fraud and breach of trust in 2012 for his part in Nova Scotia's MLA expense scandal. He claimed $3,500 for a big-screen TV that went to his house instead of his constituency office, $7,400 for renovations to his office that were never done, and $9,000 for a generator that he didn't buy.

Hurlburt was sentenced to one year of house arrest, followed by a year of probation.

Under the bylaw, anyone with a criminal record is barred from running for party office for five years after all sentences and remedies are complete. There is similar legislation for people running to be MLAs.

"They're taking our right of freedom away from us to vote for who we wanted as president," said Crosby.

"They're dictating from Halifax. We just got tired of them trying to dictate to us what we're able to do in our organization here in Yarmouth.

"Richard said he'd put this name in, but that don't mean he was going to get elected."

Crosby says the Progressive Conservative headquarters don't want to be connected to Hurlburt with two byelections on the horizon in Dartmouth South and Cape Breton Centre.

"That's a bunch of hogwash," said Crosby.

"That's nothing to do with us here in Yarmouth. We should be able to have a president that we want."

The president's job is unpaid.

Despite his conviction, Crosby says there's still strong support for Hurlburt in the area.

"If Richard wanted to run again, Richard would get elected," he said. "He would make a very good president."

Crosby said all but one member of the riding association executive stepped down.

"We're still card members. We're still Tories," he said.