On Thursday, USA TODAY reported that things went off the rails at a hearing in a lawsuit filed by Michigan GOP secretary of state candidate Kristina Karamo to block the counting of tens of thousands of ballots from Detroit — as her lawyer yelled at the judge and spouted conspiracy theories.
"Attorney Daniel Hartman also pressed for specific details about election security plans in Michigan's largest city ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm," reported Clara Hendrickson. "Hartman grew angry when Wayne County Circuit Court Chief Judge Timothy Kenny noted that the lawsuit would prevent military voters deployed overseas from having their ballots counted in the election because the complaint asks the court declare only absentee ballots requested in person can count."
"You are asking for... somebody who wants an absentee ballot has to come in to the Detroit clerk's office. That excludes the military," Kenny told Hartman, noting his own son is a veteran. To which Hartman shouted, "To characterize me as trying to disenfranchise the military voter is offensive ... I'm tired of being called a racist by [opposing counsel David] Fink."
"As the hearing reached its end, Hartman cited the widely debunked 2,000 Mules film by a far-right provocateur purportedly showing illegal votes returned via drop boxes election experts say provides no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election," said the report. "Kenny repeatedly shot down Hartman's attempts to discuss previous elections in a lawsuit seeking an extreme intervention by the court ahead of the upcoming one. At one point, Hartman accused Kenny of 'hand-cuffing' him." At one point, Kenny reportedly grew exasperated by Harman's repeated demands to know about various election security procedures in Detroit and contingency plans for various election scenarios, saying this line of questioning was "as close to fishing as it gets."
Prior to the hearing, Hartman had initially filed a motion to disqualify Kenny on the grounds that no judge in the Wayne County Circuit could be impartial in a hearing on Wayne County election procedures. However, per the report, he "withdrew the motion for disqualification during a hearing Monday when he learned that as chief judge, Kenny presides over all election-related cases and that his name does appear on the ballot for the upcoming midterm because he will retire in several weeks."
Karamo is one of several election conspiracy theorists seeking the position of top elections officer of a state in this election. She has called her opponent, Democratic incumbent Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a "dirtbag" and a "habitual lawbreaker" and cited "2,000 Mules" herself. She has also promoted QAnon "blood libel" conspiracy theories, saying Democrats drink the blood of children and "sell baby body parts."
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