Dear Precinct Delegates,
In the lawsuit between two factions of the Hillsdale County Committee, the Hillsdale Circuit Court entered a contempt order against certain county members, Kristina Karamo and the state committee. There is a rumor this will cost state committee members financially being spread in the campaign to dislodge the administration.
First, the state committee has factually not “acted in concert”, as we have taken no action either for or against any county faction and definitely this non-action was not by agreement or in concert.
The claim stems from a failure to change the website to reflect the court’s opinion of who should be the county executive committee and chair and to remove a determination made by the Weiser administration BEFORE the court entered an order.
Neither the state committee, nor Kristina Karamo was a party to the lawsuit, but the court has opined that the order covers the state committee as a non-party. That is contested in the appeal.
Further, we have raised Heitmanus doctrine to point out that the Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction to intervene in an intraparty dispute under the freedom of association of the 1st Amendment to the US Constitution.
The contempt order was conveniently issued in December 2023, days before the January 6, 2024 revolt, despite the one-day contempt hearing being conducted on September 8, 2023.
The opinion and order states that Karamo was fined $500, and the state committee was fined $500. There was an award of attorney fees, but the other side failed to timely submit a claimed amount as the court had ordered on September 8, 2023.
Rumors speculated that the amount could be $50,000 in the hysteria behind the removal push that has been ongoing since Kristina was elected. This amount would be ludicrous for a one attorney, partial day hearing.
I find it ironic that this case was about one faction of Republicans suing Republicans in Hillsdale County, which is what Karamo was accused of doing by bringing the building suit, which has as respondents a trust and a bank. There is a saying that sometimes it’s best to accuse the other side of what you’re actually doing to sow confusion. I am glad grass-roots Republicans can see thru this deception.
Kristina Karamo is not intimidated by this rhetoric and will continue to represent you. Remember they are attacking her because they really want to remove your voice.
All financial sanctions in the opinion and order are on appeal. The 6th Circuit Federal Court precedent has in Heitmanus, likely will prevail that the Hillsdale court lacks jurisdiction to even decide the dispute.
In Liberty,
Dan Hartman
General Counsel
Michigan Republican Party