Nov 26, 2004  |  By: LOU CHIBBARO JR.  | COMMENTS     

Cheryl Jacques, executive director of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay political group, resigned Tuesday following weeks of behind-the-scenes e-mail and telephone deliberations by the HRC board over concerns about her leadership style, according to two sources familiar with the organization.

HRC said in a statement released Tuesday night that Jacques resigned over "a difference in management philosophy" between her and the HRC board of directors.

The statement announced that Jacques would be replaced on an interm basis by Hilary Rosen and board co-chair Michael Berman, two seasoned Washington lobbyists. Rosen is a Democratic Party activist and the domestic partner of former HRC Executive Director Elizabeth Birch. Berman is president of the Duberstein Group, a Washington lobbying firm founded by Kenneth M. Duberstein, who was chief of staff for two years during the Reagan administration. Berman served as deputy chief of staff to Vice President Walter Mondale.

Rosen and Berman will "lead the organization through the transistion while a search for a new leader is under way," said the HRC statement.

Rosen became a well-known and highly regarded Washington insider to both Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill during her tenure as executive director of the Recording Industry Association of America, which represents the popular music recording industry as well as recording artists.

She drew praise from the music industry and some famous singers and condemnation from youthful Internet enthusiasts by leading efforts for a crackdown against free online "exchanges" of CD recordings through such Internet sites as Napster.

Lack of direction
One of the sources, who has close ties to HRC staff members, said the HRC board began a review of Jacques' job performance earlier this year when it learned that a number of key staffers had resigned.

The resignations — and threats of additional resignations — were triggered over what the staffers claimed were strong disagreements over Jacques' leadership style and her alleged "lack of direction" for the organization.

Among those who resigned was Harvey Hurdle, the group's longtime chief financial officer, according to two sources familiar with HRC. Hurdle reportedly told the board that Jacques demanded that he resign for not being a "team player" after he expressed concern over the direction Jacques was taking HRC, one of the sources said.

Hurdle reportedly told board members that Jacques demanded that he attribute his resignation to "family" matters. He refused and told the board of his flap with Jacques, the source said.

Another source familiar with HRC said one of the group's largest donors threatened to cut off all contributions to HRC unless the board dismissed her.

HRC officials refused to confirm those reports and neither Jacques nor Hurdle returned repeated requests for comment.

All eggs in Kerry's basket
With a budget of more than $20 million, HRC has served as one of the wealthiest and most highly regarded gay civil rights organizations. The group endorsed Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry in the November election, saying he had the strongest record in support of gay civil rights than any past presidential candidate from a major party.

Although the HRC sources said the group's board made the decision to back Kerry, some board members expressed concern that HRC, which bills itself as a bipartisan organization, went too far in attacking President Bush and devoted too much of its resources to the issue of same-sex marriage at the expense of other issues, such as advancing gay civil rights and hate crimes legislation.

One slogan HRC used during the campaign was "George W. Bush, you're fired."

Jacques responded by saying that Bush took a lead role in promoting a federal constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage and HRC was forced to respond by fighting that amendment in Congress.

Jacques was hired in November 2003 after a long search and began her tenure as the HRC president in January of this year. She replaced Birch, who had led the organization for eight years.

Prior to joining HRC, Jacques, an attorney, served as a six-term member of the Massachusetts State Senate, where she was among only five openly gay state senators in the nation. She represented a district in a suburban area southeast of Boston.

As a liberal Democrat from a liberal oriented Northeastern state, Jacques came to Washington at a time when conservative Republicans controlled both the White House and both houses of Congress. At the time, she said her experience working with both Democrats and Republicans in the Massachusetts legislature would help her interact with GOP lawmakers.

Lou Chibbaro Jr. can be reached at lchibbaro@washblade.com.