POLITICS/ALCOHOL DON’T MIX

Just when we thought things could not get any weirder with the state Republican Party comes reports (Bridge Michigan) of a physical altercation between two county party officials at the Doherty Hotel in Clare the night before a state party leadership meeting was scheduled to take place this past April. Kalamazoo Republican Chair Kelly Sackett and Melissa Pehlis, secretary of the Macomb County GOP, were caught on video in an escalating argument attributed to a proxy battle over election deniers state GOP Chair Kristina Karamo and Matt DePerno, who failed in his run for attorney general in the 2022 and his failed attempt to be the state party chair. The skirmish reportedly centered on Sackett’s attempt to purge Karamo allies from the Kalamazoo GOP, which is now the subject of a state lawsuit. The pair can be seen taunting each other and then Sackett knocked a cell phone and cigarette from the hands of Pehlis who then “thrust an open hand at Sackett’s head.” Police were called and a report was turned over to the Clare County Prosecutor. No word at deadline on how the prosecutor will rule. You can watch the video – viewed by 110,000 users so far – for yourself at https://tinyurl.com/4acevc9n.