A judge has mandated Michigan Republican Party Chairwoman Kristina Karamo and fellow plaintiffs to cover over $58,000 in legal expenses accrued by Detroit's clerk's office. This stems from a lawsuit they initiated contesting absentee voting procedures in the city. Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Timothy Kenny criticized the October 26th lawsuit, labeling it as speculative and lacking factual basis and understanding of Michigan election law and Detroit's absentee ballot processes.
Karamo, who was the Republican nominee for Secretary of State at the time of the lawsuit, lost the election to Democrat Jocelyn Benson. Judge Kenny's order highlighted the plaintiffs' reliance on unsubstantiated claims of corruption in Detroit as justification for their legal challenge. He directed them to reimburse the Detroit clerk's office for the incurred legal costs.
The lawsuit, filed shortly before the November election, sought to compel Detroit residents to vote in person or obtain absentee ballots directly from the city clerk's office. It leveled various accusations concerning the city's handling of absentee ballot signatures, drop-off box monitoring, and vote-counting procedures. Judge Kenny dismissed the lawsuit on the eve of the election, stating that the plaintiffs failed to present evidence of election law violations during an eight-hour evidentiary hearing.
The plaintiffs' lawsuit, filed just 13 days before the election, made a number of claims about Detroit's election procedures, including allegations about signature verification on absentee ballots, monitoring of drop boxes, and the use of supposedly "uncertified high-speed tabulators" for vote counting. These claims were ultimately dismissed by Judge Kenny, who found no evidence of wrongdoing.
