Tag: Michigan Democratic Party

The documents show attorney general staffers — many of whom had worked on Schuette’s attorney general campaign or now work on his gubernatorial campaign — were careful to use personal email accounts when they discussed political activities. With less than a week to go until Tuesday's GOP gubernatorial primary, Schuette called the email release a political attack and said his staff sent "personal email on personal time." But a separate schedule sent by a state staffer from her personal account shows that Schuette was expected at a 2:30 p.m. meeting in his Detroit office to discuss the “Cleveland Convention,” a July 2016 political event where Schuette would end up speaking ahead of President Donald Trump’s official GOP nomination. “At that time, Mr. Schuette was a big Jeb Bush supporter,” said Mark Brewer, attorney for Progress Michigan and former chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party. State work or politics? "It clearly is political activity, and the fact that meeting was called in a state office should at least raise questions the AG's office should answer." Brewer mailed out 37 separate subpoenas demanding Schuette staff and allies produce documents related to his personal campaigns or political activities. In one May 2015 email, sent on a Thursday during regular state employee work hours, Schuette used his personal email account to thank Tylus, a fundraising consultant, and several staffers for helping organize an Upper Peninsula barbecue fundraiser, which he said was “just the formula for the rest of our Endless Summer BBQ tour of Michigan.” Schuette, who was term limited and could not seek re-election as attorney general, predicted a “big turnout” of at least 300 supporters at a fundraising barbecue in west Michigan and discussed plans for another fundraiser in northern Michigan. They can do that on personal time.” While Schuette’s office did not immediately respond to question about personal time policy, Sandler said it is his understanding that “every employee gets an hour to 90 minutes to do what they want personally, and I believe it’s office policy for them to do political work on personal time, and they did that.” Sandler suggested Progress Michigan was attempting to aid Democratic gubernatorial primary front runner Gretchen Whitmer, which the organization denied. State Sen. Patrick Colbeck, also competing for the gubernatorial nomination, said recent revelations about Schuette make it "clear" that "he will be a liability to all Republicans in November" if he wins the primary.