News

NEWS & VIEWS

Lawsuit filed to prevent Ryan Kelley from appearing on general election ballot in Michigan

By Steve N eavling

A PROGRESSIVE ADVOCACY

group filed a lawsuit last week in an attempt to keep suspected insurrectionist Ryan Kelley off of the general election ballot if he wins the primary next month, calling him a “clear and present danger to democracy.”

Progress Michigan filed the lawsuit with the Michigan Court of Appeals on behalf of registered voter Lee Estes.

The FBI arrested Kelley at his home in Allendale on June 9 on allegations that he joined the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

He was charged with four misdemeanor counts in connection with the violent riot.

The lawsuit alleges Kelley violated the 14th Amendment by participating in an insurrection aimed at overturning the presidential election.

“This is an action to prevent Ryan Kelley from appearing on the November 8, 2022 general election ballot as a candidate for Governor because he has ‘engaged in insurrection’ in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment and therefore is ineligible to serve as a candidate for Governor for the State of Michigan,” the lawsuit states. “He is a clear and present danger to democracy in Michigan.”

Mark Brewer, an elections lawyer and former chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party, is the attorney for the plaintiff.

An EPIC-MRA of Lansing poll in June found that Kelley is leading the pack of five Republican candidates vying to face Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in November. In the poll, conducted between June 10 and 13, Kelley was ahead, with 17% saying they preferred the Kelley.

In a separate poll published Wednesday, Kelley fared better than his primary opponents in a head-to-head contest with Whitmer. Of the five Republican candidates, he’s the most known candidate, with 50% of participants saying they’ve heard of him.

Kelley, who sells real estate, rose in popularity among the far right after organizing an armed protest against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s COVID-19 restrictions at the state Capitol in 2020.

He was captured on numerous videos climbing on scaffolding outside the U.S. Capitol building.

Michigan’s primary election is Aug. 2.

COURTESY PHOTO

Macomb Prosecutor Lucido sexually harassed employees, used office for campaign, probe finds

By Steve N eavling

MACOMB COUNTY PROSECUTOR

Peter Lucido repeatedly made lewd comments about women and used public resources for campaign-related activities, according to an independent workplace investigation.

Butzel Long law firm conducted a months-long investigation that included interviews with 16 current and former employees of the prosecutor’s office.

The employees described Lucido’s conduct as “rude,” “curt,” “unprofessional,” and “brutal.”

Nine of those employees also said Lucido, a Shelby Township Republican, treats female administrative staff “in an offensive manner and less favorably than male staff,” and one employee said he treats women like “slaves.”

On Valentine’s Day, Lucido said he would “like some kisses from his ladies,” according to the report.

After a newspaper article was published about Lucido touching a woman’s backside during a fundraising event, Lucido allegedly said, “Where was I supposed to put my hand, she has a big ass.”

Lucido is also accused of calling one female employe “Double-D,” referring to the woman’s breast size.

Lucido has served as county prosecutor since January 2021 after spending six years as a state lawmaker. While in the state Senate, he was removed as chairman of a key committee and ordered to participate in workplace training following three allegations of sexual harassment.

“Sen. Lucido’s conduct demonstrates an unfortunate pattern of behavior that requires little to no interpretation to be understood as inappropriate workplace behavior,” a Senate report stated in March 2020.

Lucido’s behavior in the prosecutor’s office went beyond allegations of sexual harassment. He’s accused of passing over a Black assistant prosecutor for a position in the warrant division.

He also said he wanted a Black assistant prosecutor to handle a case against five Black Lives Matter protesters because “those people” wouldn’t complain that he was being unfair. The protesters, known as the “Shelby 5,” were charged with misdemeanor and felony charges for peacefully marching on the street. Police in riot gear rushed, assaulted, and arrested the protesters.

The report recommended that Lucido receive training in gender, racial, and sexual orientation bias. If he refuses to comply, the report suggests that the county “engage legal counsel for possible legal action to face Prosecutor Lucido to comply with applicable law and any applicable County employment policies.”

The report also accuses Lucido of using his office and employees to conduct campaign-related activities. State law prohibits the use of public resources for political campaigns.

The report recommends that the county refer those allegations to the Michigan Secretary of State for an investigation.

According to the report, Lucido declined to be interviewed for the investigation.

Metro T imes could not reach Lucido for comment.

Whitmer executive order blocks extradition for out-of-state abortions in Michigan

By Steve N eavling

GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER issued an executive order preventing the extradition of people who travel to Michigan for an abortion.

The order also protects abortion providers from being extradited to states where abortion is illegal.

In effect, it makes Michigan a refuge for abortion services travel.

After the overturn of Roe v. Wade and the ensuing implementation of a series of extreme bans on abortion that criminalize women and medical professionals across the country, visitors to Michigan must know that they can access reproductive health care within our borders without fear of extradition,” Whitmer said in a statement.

“That is why I signed an executive order today refusing to cooperate with out-of-state law enforcement seeking to punish women for seeking health care,” Whitmer added. “I will stand up for all women, even if their local and statewide leaders refuse to. Michigan must remain a place where a person’s basic rights are preserved. In this existential moment for fundamental rights, it is incumbent on every elected official who believes that health — not politics — should guide medical decisions to take bold action. ”

For now, abortion is legal in Michigan. In May, the state’s 1931 abortion ban was temporarily halted by a Michigan Court of Claims judge who is presiding over a lawsuit by Planned Parenthood that argues the state’s constitution protects abortion rights. In a separate case, Whitmer is urging the Michigan Supreme Court to weigh in on the issue.

If all goes as planned, Michigan voters will decide on a ballot initiative in November that would amend the state’s constitution to affirm abortion rights. Reproductive Freedom for All turned in a record 753,759 signatures on Monday to trigger the ballot initiative.

COURTESY PHOTO

Whitmer for president?

By Steve N eavling

PRESIDENT GRETCHEN WHITMER

has a ring to it.

The first-term Michigan governor debuted on T he Washington Post’s top 10 ranking of potential presidential hopefuls.

Whitmer took the No. 8 slot of possible contenders in the 2024 election.

President Joe Biden was listed first, most likely to the chagrin of many voters. A recent poll showed that only 24% of Democrats voters said the party should renominate him in 2024.

Biden didn’t appear on T he Wash ington Post’s rankings compiled in December 2021 because he was widely considered to be a one-term president.

“He’s still the most likely nominee, and he’s still sending the signals that he truly intends to run again,” the newspaper wrote. “But it’s all looking significantly more tenuous than it was even three months ago.”

Interestingly, Whitmer declined to say whether Biden should run for re-election when N B C N ews asked her about it last month. In the same interview, Whitmer wouldn’t say whether she’d run for president, but called the idea “flattering.”

Whitmer gained national attention in the summer of 2020 when she was among Biden’s top candidates for vice president. Her profile increased again when she traded barbs with thenPresident Donald Trump over coronavirus restrictions. And following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, she has become one of the most vocal defenders of abortion rights, routinely appearing on national news broadcasts.

B usiness Insider also recently listed Whitmer as a potential 2024 presidential contender.

But first, Whitmer is facing a reelection in November.

Whitmer isn’t the only Michigan resident to make T he Washington Post’s top 10 list. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who recently announced he officially moved to Michigan, ranked No. 2, ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris.

“The transportation secretary continues to carve out a potentially attractive space in Democratic politics, quite apart from his Cabinet duties: as the guy able to go on Fox News and combat the right’s talking points in a calm and steady manner,” the newspaper wrote.