The head of the Republican National Committee blasted the Commission on Presidential Debates in a letter Tuesday, threatening to advise GOP nominees to boycott its debates unless changes are made.

In a 2½ -page letter, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel expressed Republicans’ “extreme disappointment in the Commission on Presidential Debates’ (CPD) recent performance and our concern about its continued role in hosting presidential debates.” The letter was addressed to CPD co-chairs Frank J. Fahrenkopf Jr. and Kenneth Wollack.

“The CPD’s missteps and the partisan actions of its Board Members make clear the organization no longer provides the fair and impartial forum for presidential debates which the law requires and the American people deserve,” McDaniel wrote. 

She said that unless the CPD adopts “significant reforms,” the RNC will urge nominees to skip debates hosted by the commission.

McDaniel criticized the CPD for holding its first presidential debate last year after eight states already had opened early voting and absentee voting was underway in 26 states. 

She also accused the CPD of making “unilateral changes to previously agreed-upon formats and conditions,” citing the commission’s decision to switch the Oct. 15 debate from an in-person format to a virtual one. The CPD attempted to change the format for the second of the three debates between incumbent President Donald Trump and Joe Biden over citing health concerns — Trump had recently been released from the hospital with COVID-19. Trump refused to participate in the virtual debate, which was eventually canceled.

The RNC chairwoman also said the CPD made an “amateur mistake” by installing plexiglass barriers at the third debate, adding that Trump realized in advance that the candidates would’ve only seen their reflections once the stage was lit and saved the commission from embarrassment. 

McDaniel also attacked the CPD over its vetting process and for missing what she called “obvious conflicts of interest.” She noted that C-SPAN’s Steve Scully, who had been scheduled to moderate the canceled Oct. 15 debate, was once an intern for Biden.

McDaniel included a list of recommendations for changes the RNC would like to see the commission adopt, including: 

• Setting term limits for its Board of Directors
• Enacting a code of conduct that prohibits CPD officers, directors and staff from making public comments supporting or opposing any candidate or otherwise engaging in partisan political activity 
• Committing to hosting at least one debate prior to the start of early voting in any state
• Establishing transparent criteria for selecting moderators and disqualifying individuals who have any appearance of bias.

“Our sincere hope is that the CPD accepts this criticism and works to correct its mistakes,” McDaniel wrote. 

The Commission on Presidential Debates has not responded to an email from Spectrum News seeking comment.