Ex-Illinois GOP leader Pat Brady leaves convention floor during rules fight

For months, former Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady of St. Charles has been one of Donald Trump's biggest critics, and his comments drew scorn from the nominee's backers and delegates at this week's Cleveland convention.

But when a fight over party rules spilled onto the convention floor, Brady says he walked off.

Why?

While Brady was part of last week's failed effort to get a rules change to try to upend Trump's nomination, he said Monday's try had no chance of success.

"Being disruptive to be disruptive isn't productive," he said.

"There was no path to success," he said.

The raucous roll call vote Monday played out on TV and the internet, giving the conflict a higher profile than the behind-the-scenes lobbying over the rules that happened the week before.

Brady was party chairman from 2009 to 2013, but resigned over his efforts to lobby lawmakers and push for same-sex marriage in Illinois.

He's a convention delegate despite being a loud Trump critic because he was elected on behalf of Ohio Gov. John Kasich in Illinois' March primary.

Despite some Trump delegates' criticism, Brady says the convention has been smooth for him so far.

"We can have disagreements within the confines of the party," he said.