(Source: MIRS.news, Published 12/26/2023) The special meeting called by the Michigan Republican Party (MRP) scheduled for Wednesday is no longer taking place, said Bree Moggenberg of the 2nd Congressional District and executive member of the party's State Committee.
In an email thread to members of the State Committee obtained by MIRS, State Committee member Daniel Lawless said the decision not to hold the meeting will “ensure that everyone has the opportunity to fully engage in the holiday festivities without the constraints of professional commitments."
Earlier in the thread, after MRP's Co-Chair Malinda Pego said she signed a petition to support the special meeting, 9th District Committee member Phil O'Halloran asked, “why are you dividing (a united front) at the very top of our leadership?”
Todd Gillman, another committee member, said the division needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.
“Put everyone in the same room and hash it out. If a vote happens, then we abide by the results no matter (the) outcome. We regroup and move forward and focus on November 2024,” Gillman said.
Gillman didn’t say who had to “hash it out,” or whether that term referenced a closed-door meeting – something that hasn’t worked in the past.
On the meeting’s agenda was the removal of Chair Kristina Karamo, Executive Director Jim COPAS, General Counsel Dan Hartman and party official R. Morris Owens.
Party bylaws say the chair must honor a written request of at least one-third of the committee’s members for a special meeting by calling the meeting within 15 days of the request. The December date fell within the 15-day window, but Karamo had not yet called a meeting.
Karamo told committee members through email that the December meeting violated party bylaws and was invalid.
“When Chair Karamo made the choice not to honor and call the special meeting that was requested, she also made the choice to choose not to put this to an end,” Moggenberg said.
This is the second time that a special meeting request was made by state committee members without a meeting being called by Karamo, with the first raising questions over whether enough members had signed on to request the meeting due to some vacancies.
“This is another example of how she disregards what the actual bylaws say. She interjects her own policies and procedures to go in them," Moggenberg said. “Every time she’s had an opportunity to communicate and collaborate with what is a large majority of the state committee, she instead chooses to shut that down and refuse to take care of the concerns.”
Karamo scheduled a regular meeting for Jan. 13 and did not include her or the three other party officials’ removals on the agenda. She did not return a call for comment.
State Committee member Shinkle said the January meeting has an “inappropriate agenda” compared to the special meeting’s agenda. He believes the special meeting should still take place.
“(Karamo) is part of whatever coup to take over the party. Sell our assets, the building. To make sure we don’t have a Republican Party going forward,” Shinkle said. “Nobody knew this was gonna happen when we elected her. I supported her back in February.”
Moggenberg said the presidential selection process did not play a factor in holding the special meeting, and that the 13 districts would still carry out their conventions whether Karamo had been removed or not.
“We have very active district chairs that are willing to bring discussions to the table to move the body forward for the betterment of the Michigan Republican Party,” Moggenberg said.
