Republican delegates from both sides of feud to attend GOP convention

HILLSDALE — The Michigan GOP Credentials Committee has split Hillsdale County’s representation to the state GOP convention Feb. 17-18 in Lansing.

In a much-anticipated ruling, the committee said the situation comes down to the fact that no proper call to convention was issued in Hillsdale County for January’s county convention.

Because of that, the committee ruled it will accept an amended and split delegate list, requesting the Leininger faction submit a list of seven delegates and six alternates and the America First Republicans submit a list of six delegates and seven alternates by Feb. 7.

“We also believe the situation in Hillsdale County requires a political solution to its current dispute,” the committee stated. “We recommend a process to record the vote of every duly elected precinct delegate from the August 2022 primary election in support of their preferred leadership.”

The suggestion was a non-binding recommendation by the committee with unanimous support.

The decision paves the way for what many believe will be a contentious GOP convention in Lansing that will be Feb. 17-18 where the America First Republicans from Hillsdale County are likely to challenge the Leininger faction’s delegates on the floor for a convention wide decision.

The Leininger faction’s attorney, Jonathan Lauderbach, last week tried to rush through a temporary restraining order while in court on a showcause hearing to restrict the America First Republicans from attending the Michigan GOP convention by court order.

More:‘America First’ Republicans appear in court as infighting continues

On Feb. 2, a number of America First Republicans who previously served as officers on the Hillsdale County Republican Executive Committee pleaded not guilty to violating a temporary restraining order issued in November 2022 to prevent them from conducting business as the HCREC.

Jon-Paul Rutan, Daren Wiseley, Jon Smith, Lance Lashaway, Josh Gritzmaker and Belle Stier sat in the jury box of Hillsdale’s 1st Judicial Circuit Court as visiting Judge Michael Olsaver read the allegations and advised them of his intent to not impose jail time for the violations.

Many of the violations stemmed from a November 2022 competing county convention held at Sozo Church while the Leininger faction of the Republican Party met in the 4H Building at the Hillsdale County Fairgrounds.

The slate of officers stepped down after Olsaver issued his initial order months ago and new officers stepped up to lead the America First Republicans who chose David Mosby Jr., a military veteran, as their chair.

Lauderbach urged Olsaver to consider a motion filed Feb. 1 for the new temporary restraining order against Mosby and the new officers, as Mosby had contested a ruling issued by Michigan GOP Chair Ron Weiser siding with Leininger’s faction and a hearing of the Michigan GOP credentialing committee was scheduled for Friday, Feb. 3.

The America First Republicans took issue with the request because some of them had only been served the day prior — on Feb. 1 — and had not had a chance to read the 96 page motion. Others had not yet been served at all.

“They (Leininger’s faction) are trying to use legal warfare to silence our voices and mine will not be silenced,” Jon Smith said when given the chance to speak. “I am here today because my county government are tyrants.”

The America First Republicans urged Olsaver to let the Michigan GOP decide on the administrative challenge to Weiser’s December 2022 ruling siding with the Leininger faction.

More:‘America First’ Republicans will send delegates to state convention

“I will respect whatever the state (GOP’s) decision is,” Mosby said during court Feb. 2.

The rift between the two factions became evident Aug. 11, 2022, when Leininger’s faction and dozens of newly elected precinct delegates from the Aug. 2, 2022, primary election were barred from entering the county convention held at Sozo Church. Leininger’s faction held a competing convention in a nearby parking lot and selected their own slate of delegates to the state’s August 2022 convention.

On Aug. 25, 2022, days before the Michigan GOP fall convention, Leininger’s faction convened its own meeting and elected a temporary executive committee to serve through the end of the year, ousting Wiseley and the America First Republicans, who dismissed the Leininger faction’s actions that day as unlawful.

During the August 2022 Michigan GOP convention, Weiser sided with the America First Republicans but changed course Dec. 28, 2022, when he authored a three-page letter explaining his decision to then side with the Leininger faction.

— Corey Murray is the Public Safety Reporter for The Hillsdale Daily News, Sturgis Journal and The Daily Reporter. Contact him by email at cmurray@hillsdale.net or follow him on Twitter: @cmurrayHDN.

This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Republican delegates from both sides of Hillsdale feud to attend GOP convention