While Michiganders react to MAGA Matt Hall’s abuse allegations, Chair Kristina Karamo continues to drown MIGOP in dysfunction
LANSING — For the MIGOP this week, the hits just kept coming. Over the weekend, Kristina Karamo tried to declare herself the “undisputed” Chair of the MIGOP — a party that just defaulted on a $500k loan. How do you get out of half a million dollars in debt? For Karamo, it’s easy! Just sue and claim you don’t have to pay back the loan.
Then, MAGA Matt Hall’s domestic violence incident was highlighted by The Gander and Michiganders alike. Many are now questioning if he should be trusted to lead, and noting that he voted against a bill to ban domestic abusers from accessing guns just this year.
To top it all off, Karamo’s MIGOP then sent a cease and desist letter to the other MIGOP, led by Malinda Pego, who voted to remove Karamo from her position as Chair. Karamo’s MIGOP then banned Pego for 5 years from the party while Pego’s MIGOP says Karamo no longer has any authority in the party. Confused? Us too.
Don’t believe us? Check out exactly how wild the MIGOP’s week was:
Or, in other words, let us walk you through “Kristina Karamo’s Guide to Fuel a Civil War Within Your Own Party.” First, claim the undisputed right to authority:
Bridge Michigan: Kristina Karamo: I’m ‘undisputed’ GOP chair. Not so fast, critics say
- Karamo’s administration on Saturday announced state committee members voted to keep her on the job by a vote of 59-1. Her administration said members also voted to oust some of her strongest critics from the party’s state committee and ban her former co-chair, Malinda Pego, for five years.
- Karamo’s celebration was undermined by a new statement released during the Saturday meeting from nine of the Michigan GOP’s 13 congressional district chairs, who announced they continue to recognize last weekend’s vote to remove Karamo as well as General Counsel Dan Hartman.
Next, sow confusion and chaos by suing to say you don’t have to pay the $500k debt you defaulted on:
Michigan Public Radio: Michigan Republican Party – under Karamo leadership – wants to get out of paying back $500K loan
- Attorneys for the Karamo administration have sued Comerica Bank, along with the Michigan Republican Party Trust, which holds the property rights for the party’s former headquarters.
- The lawsuit seeks a judgment that the trust isn’t the actual owner of the building, the party is.
- It also seeks to call Comerica’s 2022 loan of $500,000 into question. The lawsuit claims the loan doesn’t have to be repaid, because of technicalities like missing signatures on some documents.
Finally, amidst the chaos you caused, demand that your MIGOP rivals stop pretending to be the MIGOP just because they held a vote to oust you that you decided to ignore:
Detroit News: Karamo faction of Michigan GOP sends cease and desist letters to Republican opponents
- Three letters signed by Karamo, Michigan GOP executive director James M. Copas and lawyer Daniel J. Hartman demand that Karamo dissidents stop using the state party’s trademarks, accused them of violating copyrights and demand they stop defaming the trio or face litigation…
- “They claim to be the MIGOP and they are not,” Ross told The Detroit News on Thursday. “Everything that we did that led up to the Jan. 6 meeting to remove Kristina Karamo, Daniel Hartman and James Copas was legal according to both MIGOP bylaws and Roberts Rule of Order. In my estimation, they are no longer in any position of authority.”
Even outside of Karamo’s dysfunction, it doesn’t get any better with Republicans’ other so-called leaders in the state. MAGA Matt Hall’s domestic abuse incident was revealed last week, and Michiganders have been voicing their concern about his fitness to lead ever since. Along with prominent Michigan leaders, The Gander highlighted MAGA Matt’s concerning history with intimate partner violence:
The Gander: Police reports unearth domestic assault investigation against top Michigan Republican
- Michigan House Minority Leader Matt Hall was reportedly accused of domestic assault and interfering with a 911 call. He wasn’t charged with a crime—and he went on to vote against legislation to protect survivors of domestic violence…
- According to an incident report filed with the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, Hall and his girlfriend were driving to Indiana “for some type of sports betting” in 2019 when Hall became angry and smashed his girlfriend’s phone screen, according to the reports from The Daily Beast.
As the saying goes, when someone tells you who they are — believe them. This week, the MIGOP told us they are a fractured, dysfunctional, and untrustworthy party; and we believe them because they’ve shown us over and over again. We’ll see you next week!
Signing off,
Michigan Dems
###
