(Source: MIRS.news, Published 05/01/23) A Hillsdale County Circuit Court judge ordered the America First faction, who replaced the GOP's executive committee members, to stop holding itself out as officers of the local party.
Circuit Judge Michael R. Olsaver's Friday order also prohibits Daren Wiseley's America First faction from conducting business in the name of the Hillsdale County Republican Executive Committee (HCREC), including holding conventions.
In June, then-Hillsdale County Republican Party secretary Jon Smith, a named defendant on the lawsuit, told only some members about a special meeting where the Executive Committee planned to "disavow" candidates and precinct delegates. Once that occurred, those individuals were told they could not attend the party's convention.
Hillsdale County Commissioner Brent Leininger's faction convened its own meeting in a parking lot and elected a temporary executive committee – ousting Wiseley, Smith, Lance LASHAWAY, Jon-Paul Rutan, Josh Gritzmaker and Belle Stier.
The HCREC filed a complaint in October seeking a declaratory judgment that Wiseley’s group was not proper and one month later, Olsaver sided with Leininger, ruling Wiseley's group "illegitimately" removed committee members "in an effort to take power."
Default judgments were subsequently entered against the defendants who did not respond to the complaint, including Wiseley, Lashaway, Smith, Rutan and Chris Wingate.
