Judge rules Kristina Karamo must step down as Michigan GOP chair
(CBS DETROIT) - A Kent County Circuit Court judge ruled on Tuesday that Kristina Karamo can no longer serve as the Michigan Republican Party chair more than a month after members voted to remove her.
Judge Joseph Rossi found that Karamo was properly removed on Jan. 6, the day that members of the Michigan Republican State Committee held a meeting and voted her out, making co-chair Malinda Pego the acting chair.
Rossi ruled that any actions done by Karamo as chair after that date were void.
She is prohibited from calling herself chair in public or on social media. She is also prohibited from calling meetings, conducting business, and accessing postal boxes or bank accounts under the committee.
The order is effective immediately.
This comes after the committee sued Karamo, who claimed the meeting was illegal and did not follow bylaws. The lawsuit alleged Karamo's refusal to step down caused confusion among elected precinct delegates and county organizations.
She was elected in 2023 after running unsuccessfully for Michigan Secretary of State. However, issues, such as a lack of fundraising and transparency during her tenure, pushed some members to seek to oust her.
In January, the state party announced that former Congressman Pete Hoekstra was elected as the new chair, which was later backed by the Republican National Committee and former President Donald Trump.
In response, Karamo maintained that she was the GOP chair and even announced a presidential nomination convention in Detroit on March 2, which is the same day that Hoekstra is planning to hold a convention in Grand Rapids.