Joey Garrison and Dave Boucher

The Tennessean

NASHVILLE — Officials from Donald Trump's presidential campaign are accusing Tennessee Republican Party officials of attempting to steal pro-Trump delegates to the national convention and stop them from being a part of Tennessee's delegation.

The move is part of national Republican Party effort to stop the GOP frontrunner from becoming the nominee, Trump campaign officials have alleged.

On Wednesday, Ryan Hayes, chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party, agreed on the names of seven of 14 at-large delegates that the state party is allowed to appoint under party rules, said Darren Morris, Tennessee director of Trump's campaign. But several of those names are missing from a list he reviewed late this week, replaced with people not in the Trump camp.

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"They're picking anti-Trump people," Morris said. "They're picking establishment picks who don't support Donald Trump, and it's just the same effort that they're conducting all over the country to steal a vote here, steal a delegate there, to affect the outcome of the convention in July and take the nomination away from Donald Trump."

A Tennessee party official disputes that allegation, accusing Trump’s camp of distorting the truth while noting Trump will still receive all delegates won in the state's March 1 primary.

"Instead of stirring up strife and grossly mischaracterizing the conversation that took place between Mr. Morris and Chairman Haynes, let's set the record straight: There was never an agreement, especially after the Trump campaign spoke dismissively about the party process and one of our female members,” said Brent Leatherwood, executive director of the state Republican Party.

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He did not specify who was insulted.

Trump handily won Tennessee’s GOP primary with 39% of the vote. Candidates needed to meet a 20% threshold to earn a portion of the 41 elected delegates up for grabs, so the delegate slate that voters approved was split among the top three, according to state GOP officials:

Trump: 33

33 Ted Cruz: 16

16 Marco Rubio: 9

At issue are the 14 at-large delegates that the state Republican Party's Executive Committee appoints. Though the state party selects those people, national convention rules say they should be allocated in proportion to primary results.

The Republican National Committee selects an additional three delegates — generally the national committeeman, national committeewoman and state Republican Party chairman — making Tennessee's grand total 58.

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"The party chair is a puppet," Morris said. "He is doing the bidding of the party establishment to take the nomination away from Donald Trump."

Trump campaign officials told state party leaders who they wanted for the seven at-large spots that they believe they're entitled to, and those leaders reneged, Morris said. He alleges that their replacements don't really support Trump.

The state party will follow GOP bylaws, Leatherwood said. State law that mandates all delegates to be bound to their respective candidate for two rounds of balloting at the Republican National Convention.

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But if Trump doesn't win by garnering a majority of delegates nationwide before the floor vote, Tennessee delegates would be free to vote for their personal choice after two rounds. That greatly concerns Trump supporters.

The Trump campaign urged its supporters to pack a Tennessee Republican Executive Committee meeting Saturday here to influence a committee vote on finalizing the 14 at-large delegates. A campaign email sent to supporters in the state argued "a small group of Tennessee establishment insiders pulling a fast one."

"We won the votes," it read. "They are trying to steal them."

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On Saturday, dozens of Trump supporters were refused entry into the meeting after the executive committee changed its rules and closed the proceedings. Officially, organizers said their small meeting room had reached capacity.

Executive committee members approved the slate of 14 at-large delegates that upset the Trump camp, 40-25.

“Trust me, there will be a war,” a Metro Nashville councilman, Robert Swope, told Trump supporters outside the meeting. “I want everyone to remember this moment in the Tennessee GOP because this will come back to haunt them.”

Contributing: Jamie McGee and Joel Ebert, The Tennessean. Follow Joey Garrison and Dave Boucher on Twitter: @joeygarrison and @Dave_Boucher1