Ousted GOP Chair Warns Republicans: You 'Could Be Next'

Former Michigan GOP leader Kristina Karamo has continued to speak out against the Republican National Committee (RNC), warning other state party leaders that they could be removed from their positions just as she was.

Karamo, a former 2020 poll watcher and candidate for Michigan secretary of state in 2022, served as chair of the state's Republican Party until she was removed from the role by a vote of state party members earlier this month.

This came amid criticisms over her leadership, particularly a lack of fundraising and a generally dire financial situation that has seen the state party, according to allegations made in recent court filings, default on loans for over three months. An internal report obtained by MLive said that some in the state party believed it was close to bankruptcy due to failures they blamed on Karamo.

Karamo, in turn, has disputed her removal from the position, claiming that the meeting in which the decision was made was "illegal." The RNC conducted a review of the removal process and determined that it had been carried out correctly and that Karamo had been "properly removed." Despite that, the position of state party chair still remains vacant.

As the situation continues to play out, Karamo has issued a warning to other state Republican Party leaders as they gather this week for an event in Las Vegas, telling them that they too could be subjected to removal in the same illegitimate manner that she claimed she was. The letter was first highlighted in a post to X, the platform previously known as Twitter, by NBC News reporter Henry J. Gomez.

"The RNC leadership has unilaterally decided not to recognize me as MIGOP chair, against the will of the Michigan Republican Party State Central Committee," Karamo wrote. "To make matters worse, RNC leadership is colluding with members of a faction of just 37 percent of the state committee, individuals of Michigan's consultant class, and Ambassador Pete Hoekstra to unlawfully remove me as chair and install him in my place."

She later added: "If the will of the Michigan precinct delegates and state central committee can be unilaterally usurped by the RNC leadership, understand that your state could be next."

Newsweek reached out to the RNC via email for comment on Tuesday.

Karamo was among the many candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump to fail in their race during the 2022 midterm elections. During her time as Michigan party chair and a candidate for secretary of state, she was noted for promoting Trump's false claims about election fraud in the 2020 presidential race and once likened abortion to "child sacrifice," according to CNN.