Michigan GOP leaders mutiny against Kristina Karamo as party discontent toward chair grows
(FOX 2) - About 10 months after electing her chair of the Republican Party, some members of the GOP are calling for Kristina Karamo to step down from the position.
Among the names calling for her removal is Oakland County Republican Party Chair Vance Patrick, who said Karamo wasn't "capable" of running the party or fostering the growth needed to win statewide and local elections in Michigan.
Ahead of a pivotal 2024 election, when Michigan could play a factor in the larger political landscape, the reported infighting between Karamo and some party officials could derail plans to retake an open U.S. Senate seat and the recently-flipped legislature.
"Because of this, I am urging the MIGOP State Committee to vote to remove Kristina Karamo from her position as Chair of the Michigan Republican Party," read a statement posted on the OCPR's social media page.
The letter said leadership "must align" with the party's objectives and blamed Karamo for creating "divergence" between them. According to the letter, the state party was invisible during the previous election cycle, leaving candidates to campaign on their own.
"Our state party has been left in shambles with regard to fundraising and effective staff work. There is a new controversy every week, distracting from the important business of organizing the party to win elections," read the letter.
The letter ended with a call to remove Karamo as chair as the first move toward helping rebuild the party.
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Media reports from the Detroit News and Bridge Magazine have found instances of physical altercations and the party tipping near bankruptcy.
Karamo was elected chair during the party's nominating contest in Lansing in February, beating out more than a dozen other candidates, including former candidate for state attorney general Matt DePerno.
She's also stirred controversy by drawing parallels between gun safety legislation and the Holocaust.
In a separate report shared by a former chairperson of the 9th Congressional District's Republican Committee on his Facebook page, it detailed financial issues within the party. That includes a lack of fundraising, poor decision-making on expenses, and not being transparent with how funds are being used.
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The report claims the party has more than $600,000 in debt, and is in a position "that has been dire and is getting worse." The party allegedly owes more than half a million dollars to Comerica Bank via a line of credit, according to the report.
Furthermore, it also reports the party was loaned $110,000 to pay for actor Jim Caviezel to speak during its leadership conference on Mackinac Island. The money should have been used to pay down debt rather than hire a speaker at that rate.