Two Hillsdale County Republican Party groups are preparing for a legal battle.
“We’re the sanctioned, official party,” Jon Smith, the original HCRP secretary said. “They are a bogus party.”
When the HCRP’s “America First” executive committee barred delegates from the county convention in early August, County Commissioner Brent Leininger held an alternate convention. The Michigan Republican Party ruled in favor of the alternate convention, and afterward, Leininger and other Republicans attempted to oust the party’s original executive committee officers.
The attempt has not yet been successful, as the Michigan Republican Party recognized the “America First” group on Aug. 27. The two factions, however, have continued to hold events and operate independently.
Both groups have been speaking with lawyers, preparing for a potential fight in court.
Leininger, who serves as his group’s chairman, said he and his fellow officers are considering “all steps necessary, including legal action” to secure their positions. According to Leininger, Michigan election law and party bylaws justify the group’s claim to office.
“We are working with legal counsel to take the appropriate steps as we go forward,” Leininger said.
The Macomb County Republican Party has been dealing with a similar controversy, so Smith said the HCRP’s original parliamentarian Jon-Paul Rutan is speaking with their lawyer. At the same time, Smith said officials hope to avoid legal action, as he thinks court involvement would set a dangerous precedent.
“Courts should not be involved,” Smith said. “It’s setting a standard for clubs in general.”
Smith said his group is considering questions of party affiliation and county convention timing to improve their response to future incidents like this.
Background
Officers of the HCRP executive committee accused more than 61 county convention delegates of being “Trochky [sic] International Socialists” in early August. Party officials barred the delegates, including state Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, state Rep. Andrew Fink, and Hillsdale College Professor of Economics Gary Wolfram, from attending their Aug. 11 county convention.
While the official convention took place in Sozo Church, Leininger led an alternate convention of disavowed delegates in a downtown parking lot. The state party ruled in favor of the alternate convention on Aug. 19, and accepted their nominees to represent Hillsdale at the state Republican convention.
Twenty Republicans, many of whom took part in the alternate convention, met on Aug. 25 to remove officers of the HCRP’s executive committee. Leininger said party members voted to oust Smith, Daren Wiseley, Belle Steier, Jon-Paul Rutan, Josh Gritzmaker, and Lance Lashaway.
Wiseley was arrested in Osceola County, Florida, on Aug. 7 for battery on a firefighter, according to the Osceola County Clerk. He has since been released and returned to Hillsdale.
At the meeting, Republicans voted to replace the executive committee officers with Leininger, Zoning Board Member Penny Swan, County Clerk Marney Kast, Prosecutor Neal Brady, recently-defeated County Commissioner Kathleen Schmitt, and Bambi Somerlot.
The Michigan Republican Party ruled in favor of the HCRP’s original leadership in an Aug. 27 letter, recognizing the group they had previously ruled against. Leininger said he and the other Republican officials would not comply with the state party’s ruling.
Republican Mayor Adam Stockford called for tensions to cease in an Aug. 16 Facebook post.
“I would ask the so-called establishment faction to go back to their day jobs, which is administering the offices of this county and state,” Stockford said. “I would ask the so-called patriots to stop using the same tactics you accuse others of.”
Stockford said he approaches this issue as a non-interested party, though he acknowledged he is imperfect and has fanned controversy throughout the years.
“We are on the verge of losing our way of life nationally,” Stockford said. “Hillsdale is supposed to be different.”
Wiseley could not be reached for comment on his arrest.
