Judge orders Karamo and others to pay for last-minute election lawsuit targeting Detroit

Michigan GOP Chair Kristina Karamo and Republican lawyers involved in a last-minute lawsuit that threatened to reject potentially thousands of valid ballots cast by Detroiters in last year's midterm election must pay legal fees incurred by the Detroit clerk's office under a court order issued Monday.

Wayne County Circuit Chief Judge Timothy Kenny previously rejected Karamo's lawsuit targeting Detroit voters, and came out of retirement to preside over Detroit City Clerk's Janice Winfrey's request for sanctions against those behind the effort.

In his Monday order, Kenny found that the lawsuit, along with the request to bar a Wayne County judge from hearing the matter, were "frivolous" and ordered those who brought and defended the challenge to pay $58,459.20 to cover costs and attorney fees to the Detroit clerk's office.

In addition to Karamo, those responsible for covering the amount include Daniel Hartman — who currently serves as in-house counsel for the Michigan GOP, according to a recent interview with a conservative publication — along with Alexandria Taylor, who recently filed to run as a Republican for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat. A group of election observers who deny the results of the 2020 election and other plaintiffs in the lawsuit must also help pay the sum.

More:Judge rejects Kristina Karamo lawsuit targeting Detroit voters ahead of midterm election

Karamo's lawsuit, filed less than two weeks before the 2022 midterm, would have subjected Detroit voters and election officials to a different set of rules than the rest of the state.

It sought a court order requiring Detroit voters to cast their ballots in person or show an ID at the clerk's office to vote absentee despite the Michigan Constitution giving every voter the right to request and return absentee ballots by mail.

In a separate brief filed later, the court was instead asked to prohibit voters from requesting absentee ballots by mail or online without presenting identification for all future elections until Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson established rules instructing election administrators how to verify voter signatures.

In a blistering order dismissing the lawsuit the day before the midterm election, Kenny said it could disenfranchise tens of thousands of Detroiters, calling that prospect "unacceptable." In his latest order, he said those involved in the effort failed to provide evidence for their claims.

"Plaintiffs merely threw out the allegation of 'corruption in Detroit' as the reason for disregarding the Michigan Constitution in this state’s largest city," Kenny wrote in his opinion and sanctions order issued Monday. "A blanket assertion of corruption does not overturn a Michigan Constitutional provision."

Taylor said she received the order while out to lunch with her family to celebrate her daughter's graduation from kindergarten. She called it "a miscarriage of justice."

"This is why people don’t trust the judicial system," she said. She cast doubt on the fairness of the court proceedings and said Kenny set the legal team to fail from the outset by limiting the case they could put forth during bench hearings that preceded the public hearings.

The Free Press reached Hartman, who ultimately declined to be quoted in this article. Karamo did not respond to a call and text message seeking comment.

More:New presidential delegate system sparks dispute among Michigan Republicans

Karamo, who fought the results of the 2020 election, received former President Donald Trump's endorsement in her 2022 bid to serve as secretary of state. Karamo has refused to concede her 615,349-vote election loss to Democrat Jocelyn Benson.

Michigan GOP delegates elected Karamo to serve as chair of the state party earlier this year.

Contact Clara Hendrickson: chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Follow her on Twitter @clarajanehen.