Things are getting back to normal at the Macomb County Clerk's office, less than five months after Karen Spranger was removed from office. Spranger's bizarre behavior and incompetence after she was elected in 2016 drove the department into turmoil and disarray. Current Clerk Kathy Smith says a lot of people left because of Spranger, so the hardest part has been filling all the vacant positions and getting the new workers trained. Listen to Michigan Radio Morning Edition host Doug Tribou and reporter Sarah Cwiek discuss former Macomb County clerk Karen Spranger and what led to the selection interim clerk Kathy Smith. Macomb County has a new clerk, for now. This came as Spranger appeared to attempt to regain her office by filing court documents addressing Gov. Macomb County Clerk Karen Spranger took office in January 2017, and there's been non-stop drama surrounding her ever since. That drama hit a new high Tuesday when a judge Spranger to be removed from her post. Taking her place will be Kathy Brower, a long-time Macomb County employee. A judge appointed her temporary acting county clerk today. That's after a circuit court stripped her of most of her authority for refusing to fill crucial positions necessary to keep county government operating. On Tuesday, Macomb County Clerk Karen Spranger, representing herself, will appear at a hearing in her lawsuit against the county before federal district judge George Steeh. She is expected to argue that he should recuse himself. That's because twenty years ago, he was a Macomb County judge, and her lawsuit is alleging a conspiracy led by various Macomb County actors. Macomb County's embattled Clerk and Register of Deeds, Karen Spranger, has filed a federal lawsuit alleging a civil conspiracy against her, involving county officials, union officials, and macomb county scanner of the media. Since taking office in January, Spranger has refused to hire new employees, and tried to fire a number of union supervisors and union employees. When she was told she could not fire employees under the protection of a labor union contract, she harassed and threatened employees, and refused to allow them to do the jobs for which they had been trained. A judge has found Macomb County clerk Karen Spranger in contempt of court. Circuit Court Judge Richard Caretti ruled Spranger violated a court order. Among other things, the preliminary injunction and a subsequent temporary restraining order prevent her from harassing or retaliating against employees who file grievances, or engage in union activities. Clerk Karen Spranger represented herself in a case brought by her employees who are members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. macomb county scanner Spranger is accused of preventing her from macomb county scanner or retaliating against union employees who file grievances or engage in union business. The state's savings account wouldn't last long if there was another economic downturn. That's according to from the Citizens Research Council. This Week in Review, Macomb county scanner Edition host Rebecca Kruth and senior news analyst Jack Lessenberry discuss what needs to happen to get Michigan's piggy bank back in shape. Stateside's conversation with Macomb County Commissioner Leon Drolet. Macomb County Commissioners are turning to a rather to help them get the county clerk's office back on track, and possibly remove County Clerk Karen Spranger. The commissioners hope this state law will force Spranger to answer questions about the way she's running her office, and about the many problems that have piled up since the Republican clerk took office in January. Macomb County Commissioner joined Stateside today to give us the latest. Enough is enough, Macomb County Commissioners say. It's time for County Clerk Karen Spranger to go. It's not clear why Macomb County voters chose someone with no qualifications as their next County Clerk, but most county officials believe she was elected solely by virtue of straight-party ticket voting, and won the office on Donald Trump's coattails. Spranger's tenure has been a whirlwind of one scandal after another, with lawsuits, employee grievances, a car wreck, allegations of perjury, and chaos in the day-to-day workings of a crucial county department that touches the lives of citizens, businesses, and the courts. Spranger is involved in so many lawsuits it's hard to keep track. She's being sued by two former employees that she fired after they allegedly blew the whistle on her ethics violations. She's being sued by one of the unions that represents her employees. And she's being sued by the county. There have been so many twists and turns and controversies since voters elected anti-government activist Karen Spranger as county clerk. The latest: A circuit court judge has issued a temporary restraining order directing Spranger to stop threatening and harassing her employees. That's after internal grievances, which were upheld, failed to stop her behavior, which includes threats to fire people. Macomb County says its clerk and register of deeds, Karen Spranger, is not eligible to hold the office she won in November. Spranger sued the County earlier in the year, after she was not permitted to fire union employees in her office. County attorneys filed a counter-complaint Tuesday, alleging Spranger lied about where she was living when she filed her application to run for County Clerk. The address Spranger claimed, under penalty of perjury, was her primary residence has had water and other utilities shut off since 2012. A Macomb County Circuit Court judge could decide Monday whether a case against embattled county clerk Karen Spranger will move forward. County officials have accused Spranger of lying about her address when she filed to run for office last year. If the case proceeds, a judge will decide whether there's enough evidence to legally disqualify Spranger from office. Macomb County Clerk Karen Spranger faces a new lawsuit, after being sued earlier this year by two former employees who say their firing was in retaliation for blowing the whistle on her unethical behavior. This time Spranger is being sued for actions she took before taking the oath of office. Diane Zontini says ten days after the election in November, she caught an associate of Spranger secretly videotaping her as Zontini was conducting private business at the Clerk's office. Macomb County Clerk Karen Spranger has agreed to let a move of some of her departments take place -- but only after she was sued by the county. Spranger has been butting heads with Macomb County officials and getting into macomb county scanner ever since she took office in January. The former anti-government activist lost access to her county-owned computer for weeks, after she was caught letting friends, who were not county employees, use it.
