Michigan Republican chairperson Karamo, others ordered to pay legal fees for failed election lawsuit

DETROIT (AP) — A judge has ordered Michigan Republican Party Chairperson Kristina Karamo and others to pay more than $58,000 in legal fees incurred by the Detroit clerk’s office to fight their lawsuit challenging absentee voting in the city. In an order signed Monday, Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Timothy Kenny said the Oct. 26 lawsuit in which Karamo was the lead plaintiff was “rife with speculation, an absence of facts and a lack of understanding of Michigan election statutes and Detroit absentee ballot procedures.” At the time, Karamo was the Republican nominee for secretary of state. Neither Karamo nor the state GOP responded to emailed requests for comment Tuesday.