Two chairs, two parties. Michigan Republicans deal with ouster of Kristina Karamo
(CBS DETROIT) - Eighty-eight percent of the vote. That's how much supported ousting the current contested chair of the Michigan Republican Party at a meeting held over the weekend
It's a meeting party chair Kristina Karamo has dismissed as illegitimate.
"Unfortunately, you have a group of usurpers who have a variety of reasons why they claim to justify violating the rules as they did, and they put themselves up there as now they're the Michigan Republican Party," said Karamo. "And who loses in the end? It's the voter."
Karamo says if there is a legitimate vote, she will step down from her post.
"If the rules are followed, and the committee does vote to remove me, I would absolutely honor that," she said. "If there's a lawful process, then absolutely. I'm a I'm a by the book individual. But, what we can't tolerate is a group of individuals claiming they're the party."
Members of Karamo's party who attended the meeting over the weekend said the vote was by the bylaws, and they even have an acting chair who has held meetings with party leadership.
"With Malinda Pego as the acting chair, she has already met with our district chairs, and business will move forward. We will operate the same way that we had before," said Bree Moeggenberg, a state party member. "We are already in the process, I believe, of developing new committees."
Moeggenberg said she can't speak to any legal step the organization will have to take with Karamo continuing to conduct business but says she has been disappointed by Karamo's actions.
"When many of those strong faces that have supported her through election integrity are intimidating others, and they are harassing others, and they are slandering others, it does not look good for all of the work that the Republicans have done to try to bring integrity back into the elections," Moeggenberg said.