Michigan judge tells QAnon extremist to stop pretending she's still GOP chair

A Michigan judge ruled on Tuesday that, contrary to her claims otherwise, Kristina Karamo is in fact no longer the chairperson of the Michigan Republican Party.

According to Patrick Sviteck for the Washington Post, "Kent County Circuit Judge Joseph Rossi on Tuesday granted a preliminary injunction against Karamo, prohibiting her from acting as chair. Karamo has refused to give up the title, even after the Republican National Committee officially recognized her successor, former congressman Pete Hoekstra, this month."

Karamo, a QAnon conspiracy theorist who ran unsuccessfully for Michigan Secretary of State in 2022, swiftly became disliked by the Michigan GOP after being elected to the chair, presiding over catastrophic financial collapse and intra-party fighting that led to a physical brawl between officials.

Despite Hoekstra being selected to replace her, and despite former President Donald Trump endorsing Hoekstra's chairmanship, Karamo went so far as to lock Hoekstra out of the servers that would help him manage the party, triggering a succession crisis.

"Rossi’s ruling came four days before Hoekstra and Karamo were set to hold dueling conventions in different parts of the state. It was not immediately clear whether Karamo’s convention would proceed after the judicial decision," noted the report. "Michigan is holding its primary Tuesday, but only some of the Republican delegates will be awarded as a result. The rest will be doled out based on the results of caucuses held at the Michigan GOP convention Saturday."

Michigan Republicans are far from alone among state GOP chapters in experiencing drama. Several other battleground state GOP chapters are out of cash, and the Arizona GOP's leader was forced to resign after a hot mic appeared to catch him trying to bribe the leading Senate candidate out of the race.