Michigan Republican Scandals | Updated List of GOP Scandals in MI

Michigan Republican U.S. Congress Member & Candidate Scandals
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10/14/24
Violated election law by displaying the wrong election date in a newspaper advertisement targeting black voters while using the correct date in all other ads including one that was almost exactly the same but targeted white votersAccording to an official complaint filed by the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus
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Mark SiljanderFmr. U.S. Representative
1/12/12
Accepted 50k to secretly and illegally lobby for the USA to remove a sanctioned organization from the "specially designated global terrorist" list and then lied to the FBI when they questioned himAccording to charging documents filed by federal officials
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Jordan HaskinsFmr. U.S. Rep Nominee
6/27/14
Engaged in a sexual fetish called "cranking" where he broke into vehicles, disconnected the spark plug wires and turned on the ignition while masturbating of which he was caught in the act four times in a 9-month periodAccording to charging documents filed by local police
Michigan Republican Executive Branch Scandals
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Ryan KelleyFmr. Gov. Candidate [R-MI]
10/17/23
Pushed through a line of Capitol police officers who were trying to prevent protestors from rushing the Capitol building and supported a fellow insurrectionist while they tried to pull a metal bike rack onto the scaffolding they were standing onAccording to charging documents filed by federal officials
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8/01/23
Organized a group to illegally seize voting machines used in the 2020 election and perform "tests" on the equipment which election security experts warn compromised the machines and could have altered the votes cast on themAccording to charging documents filed by state officials
Michigan Republican State Legislator Scandals
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Rick JohnsonFmr. House Speaker [R-MI]
4/06/23
Accepted $110,200 in cash and other bribes including thousands of dollars' worth of sex with a prostitute and chartered flights from a businessman and two lobbyists in exchange for approving their medical marijuana business licenses during his time as chair of Michigan's marijuana licensing boardAccording to charging documents filed by federal prosecutors
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Lee ChatfieldFmr. House Speaker [R-MI]A+ NRA Rating
4/16/24
Stole over $132,000 from multiple political accounts to pay for vacations with his family, housing costs and personal credit card statements by siphoning money from a loosely regulated political account that prosecutors alleged he used as his own "unregulated slush fund" into his own pocketAccording to charging documents filed by state officials
1/07/22
According to a statement in which he admitted to the affairs while denying a related sexual assault allegation1/07/22
Allegedly raped and sexually abused a minor over many years beginning when she was fifteen years old and continued well into her adulthood while being married the entire timeAccording to a lawsuit filed by the alleged victim and reported by local media7/31/18
Attempted to board an airplane at Pellston Regional Airport in Michigan with an unregistered loaded handgun he had in a carryon bag and was fined nearly $4,000 by the TSAAccording to a report filed by TSA in conjunction with local police
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Matt HallState Representative
7/26/18
Wrote two threatening emails in all caps to a fellow student that warned he had just put a bullet inside his shotgun with the student's "NAME ON IT" and told him that he "BETTER WATCH OUT!!" if he didn't want troubleAccording to a police report filed by local authorities
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Neil FriskeState Representative
6/21/24
Allegedly sexually assaulted an exotic dancer and then chased her around with a loaded gun that he eventually fired in her vicinity outside of his home at 2:30 in the morningAccording to a police report filed by local officials
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Tim KellyFmr. State Representative
9/15/15
Kissed fellow state rep Tara Mack with her pants down inside a car at a local park while also being nearly twenty years older than her and married with four childrenAccording to a report filed by the park ranger who caught them
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Daire RendonFmr. State Representative
8/01/23
Led a group that illegally seized five voting machines used in the 2020 election and performed unsanctioned experiments on the equipment which election security experts warn compromised the machines and could have altered the votes cast on themAccording to charging documents filed by state officials
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Cindy GamratFmr. State Representative
9/10/15
Had an extramarital affair with fellow state representative Todd Cotter and then used public funds to cover up the affair which resulted in her being expelled from the Michigan HouseAccording to an investigation conducted by the Michigan House
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Todd CourserFmr. State Representative
8/07/15
Engaged in an extramarital affair with fellow state representative Cindy Gamrat and then concocted a wild story that would allege he solicited a male prostitute to keep their affair from becoming publicAccording to audio recordings reported on by The Detroit News
Michigan Republican Finance Official Scandals
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Stephanie ScottFmr. County Clerk [R-MI]
5/09/24
Illegally retained possession of a voting machine and refused repeated commands to give it to an authorized vendor so they could conduct routine maintenance and testingAccording to charging documents filed by state officials
Michigan Republican Mayor Scandals
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Hassan AounMayor Candidate [R-MI]
10/18/12
Masterminded an illegal counterfeit luxury goods trafficking ring that raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars selling knockoff items to unsuspecting customersAccording to charging documents filed by local officials
Michigan Republican City Official Scandals
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Paul ManniFmr. City Council Nominee
8/09/22
Forged signatures on at least nine absentee voter applications for people who were unaware he was submitting the request and lied to the county clerk by attesting he had permission to deliver the applicationsAccording to charging documents filed by local officials
Other Michigan Republican Scandals
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James ChapmanCommissioner [R-MI]
7/09/23
Kicked a fellow state GOP official Mark DeYoung in the groin and then grabbed him by the legs and knocked him to the ground as soon as DeYoung opened the door to a reportedly "closed" meeting Chapman didn't want him attendingAccording to a report filed by local police
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Brian McAllisterCommissioner [R-MI]
3/14/23
Drove in a way that state police pulled him over on suspicion of drunk driving resulting in his arrest after they determined he was under the influenceAccording to arrest records filed by local policeWas pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving and had a BAC more than twice the legal limit of 0.17 after submitting to a breathalyzer testAccording to arrest records filed by local police
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Charles FinleyCommissioner [R-MI]
1/21/23
Falsely identified himself as a police officer and prevented a school bus with children on board from leaving before state police arrived after getting involved in a private dispute between two children who inadvertently bumped headsAccording to a police report filed by state police
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Bob CampbellCounty Commissioner [R-MI]
3/04/25
Was pulled over for suspected DUI and arrested after he failed a sobriety test and admitted to the arresting officer that he shouldn't have been drivingAccording to charging documents filed by local officials
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Scott McMahanCounty Commissioner [R-MI]
2/15/25
Lied about living in the district he was later elected to represent on candidacy forms that he swore under oath under were accurateAccording to charging documents filed by local officials
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Rob HentschelCounty Commissioner [R-MI]
12/09/24
Allegedly sexually assaulted a young woman who repeatedly told him and his friends to stop after a night of heavy drinkingAccording to a sworn affidavit filed by the alleged victim to local police