FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Progress Michigan
November 30, 2017
Contact: Sam Inglot, 616-916-0574, sam@progressmichigan.org
Did Lt. Governor Calley Accuse Bill Schuette of Misconduct in Office?
Calley must clarify what he meant when he said Flint charges were political
LANSING — Progress Michigan is calling on Lt. Governor Brian Calley to clarify his statement regarding Attorney General Bill Schuette’s investigation into the Flint Water Crisis.
Calley made the statement to Nolan Finley on 910AM in Detroit Tuesday stating, “I don’t think there’s any chance whatsoever they would have been charged with the things they’ve been charged with if Bill Schuette was not running for governor. I don’t see how anybody could possibly challenge that conclusion.
“This goes beyond mere political rhetoric and straight to the heart of Bill Schuette’s conduct in office,” said Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan. “Accusing the sitting Attorney General of charging people with crimes simply to lift his own campaign is a serious charge that deserves further scrutiny. Brian Calley must tell the people of Michigan if he truly believes that Bill Schuette is using tax dollars and the power of his office to help himself politically.”
Misconduct in office by a public officer is a common law offense subject to the provisions of MCLA 750.505. The common law offense of misconduct in office has been defined as “corrupt behavior by an officer in the exercise of the duties of his office or while acting under color of his office. In addition, MCL 169.257 prohibits the use of public resources in all elections.
“Bill Schuette has spent a career working on behalf of himself and his corporate donors. I never expected the sitting Republican Lt. Governor to agree with me and many others who have critiqued the Attorney General for years – even if Calley waited until he was running against Schuette,” Scott continued. “There are important questions that need to be asked and answered: Is charging individuals with a crime to advance your own political campaign a crime in and of itself? Is Brian Calley accusing Bill Schuette of misconduct in office? What, if anything, is Calley going to do to stop what he perceives as an abuse of power by Bill Schuette?”
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