HOUGHTON LAKE, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – A Michigan Republican Party special meeting called by disputed leader Kristina Karamo took place Saturday at a banquet center in Houghton Lake. It started around noon, two hours later than scheduled. Of those in attendance who were allowed to vote, 59 state committee members voted to keep Karamo on as the Chair and only one was opposed.
In a social media post on X, former member of the Michigan Senate, Patrick Colbeck, points to the combined support for Karamo from today’s meeting added to the numbers from last weekend’s meeting that was called by the anti-Karamo faction equals 60.9% of state committee members supporting her. 75% support is needed to remove her.
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Just seven days earlier, an anti-Karamo faction of state committee members voted 40-5 to unseat Karamo, saying that co-chair Malinda Pego is now the party’s acting chairperson.
Karamo opponents are also arguing that today’s meeting contained several violations of Roberts Rules of Order and the state’s party bylaws including limiting questions and the suspension of bylaws. One of the state committee members watching the meeting on Zoom accused the Karamo administration of committing “violation after violation after violation.”
Saying that they cancelled today’s meeting in their own meeting on January 6th, State Committee Woman Jeannie Burchfield commented in a chat on Zoom, “They can’t do it (vote) anyway. This is no longer the MIGOP. Bylaws were followed last weekend.”
Along those lines, the acting Chair from the other MIGOP faction, Malinda Pego, has called a special meeting for Saturday, January 20th in Lansing, Michigan to vote for a new Chair, new Counsel and other party business.
Those in attendance of today’s meeting also took aim to get rid of co-chair Malinda Pego and six state committee members for what they called conflict of interest and compliance violations.
It’s possible that the infighting won’t end until the Republican National Committee’s National Convention in July. That’s where the national party could be dealing with two state committees, two state conventions and two sets of delegates as both sides are calling the other illegitimate and saying they are not following the bylaws.
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