LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – In a recent development, Michigan Republican Party Chairman Pete Hoekstra announced plans to reopen the party’s Lansing headquarters in the coming weeks. The decision comes after an Ingham County judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by former party Chair Kristina Karamo against the trust that owns the building and the bank that has provided loans to the party.

Following a ruling on February 27th by a Kent County judge that upheld Karamo’s removal as Chair at a January 6th meeting, Hoekstra, endorsed by both the Republican National Committee (RNC) and former President Donald Trump, assumed leadership at a subsequent state committee meeting on January 20th.

MIGOP will have a presence in Lansing.

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Karamo had closed the Lansing headquarters in February 2023 as a budget-trimming decision after being elected at the Michigan GOP convention last February. And while Hoekstra expressed the intention to move back into the building, he clarified that the party might not immediately occupy the entire space due to factors such as the ongoing rebuilding phase and the increasing trend of remote work.

The party’s new general counsel, Mike Bishop, a former congressman and state Senate majority leader, successfully sought the dismissal of Karamo’s lawsuit by asserting that she was lawfully removed as Chair.

Where did the money go?

Regarding financial matters, Hoekstra revealed that he has regained access to the state party’s bank accounts from the prior administration. However, the overall debt and financial situation are still under assessment. Questions surround the $263,000 in federal funds sent by the National Republican Congressional Committee to support congressional races, with uncertainty about how the funds were spent.

Karamo maintains that all expenditures were lawful and approved by the party’s budget committee. She is currently working on an appeal against the judge’s ruling, emphasizing that the party has reverted to the “status quo” of being run by big donors rather than grassroots efforts.

Website and email account still in the hands of Karamo administration.

In the meantime, Hoekstra hasn’t yet gained control of the party’s official website at migop.org and has been running another website at michiganrepublicanparty.com.

Additionally, no official communications from the original MIGOP email account have been sent out since February 27th on Election Day.

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In Judge Rossi’s order granting the plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary injunction on June 10th, it forbids Karamo and anyone acting on her behalf from conducting any business in the name of the Michigan Republican State Committee or Michigan Republican Party.

The order also stops them from engaging in “communication, including on social media, that purports to be issued on behalf of the Michigan Republican State Committee or the Michigan Republican Party.” However, the injunction doesn’t specifically order Karamo or her representatives to turn over access to the website or the email account.

Karamo being accused of being slow to respond to circumstances.

Hoekstra says about the previous Karamo administration, “On some of this, they’re not making it easy or being very responsive.” However, attorney Bishop expects to have control of the website by the end of the week.

Michigan News Source reached out to Karamo and the former communications email account about this matter and whether she intends to turn over control of the website and the email account to Pete Hoekstra before the June trial date but they did not return our request for comment.

Dissent still exists among the ranks.

Meanwhile, the Karamo faction of the party is also still at odds with Hoekstra and his management of the MIGOP.

1st Congressional District Republican Chair Daire Rendon sent out an email on Sunday, March 10th, to Co-Chair Malinda Pego and others including State Committee Members, county GOP Chairs and the press.

In her statement, Rendon accuses Hoekstra, among other things, of not providing requested information to State Committee Members. She says, “Over and over, the Hoekstra administration has skewed the bylaws to their favor and ignored the rules when it does not favor their agenda. They have disenfranchised over half of the delegates in our Congressional District by refusing to credential delegates properly sent to the only Secretary of MRP.”

Rendon is referring to the approximately 200 delegates from 25 Michigan counties who were excluded from Hoekstra’s MIGOP convention in Grand Rapids at the end of February after they missed a deadline to submit their delegate list and register for the event.

Rendon also says in her statement, “They (Hoekstra MIGOP) have demonstrated the same actions that Karamo was accused of. It’s becoming evident to me and to many others that the Hoekstra/Pego administration has no intention of including all district, counties and delegates in their communications and efforts to carry out the mission of the MRP.”

District Chair, who has been charged with election equipment tampering, is firmly in the Karamo corner.

Rendon, who has been charged with the alleged tampering of election equipment in 2020, said in a memo to ABC News about Karamo, “Over the last year, you have been a victim of deceiving propaganda and fake news against our grassroots leader, who has been a fearless warrior for freedom.”

Despite the ongoing challenges, Hoekstra has expressed optimism about the party’s recent weeks and noted a renewed interest from potential donors. He also urged Karamo’s supporters to shift focus to the upcoming November elections, expressing confidence in the party’s unity and growth.