U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten, a Grand Rapids Democrat who announced she was separating from her husband earlier this month, previously sought to seal filings from their divorce case, according to court records reviewed by The Detroit News.
On April 3, Scholten released a statement, saying her husband, Jesse Holcomb, “suddenly left our family home and then filed for divorce.”
Holcomb filed for divorce on Jan. 26 in Kent County Circuit Court. Eight days after that filing, Scholten’s lawyer, Erica Auster, asked a judge to seal the case, meaning its documents wouldn’t be available to the public. Auster cited four reasons why the records should be secret: safety, confidentiality, “irreparable reputational harm,” and “preservation of public trust.”
“Because divorce pleadings frequently contain allegations that have not been adjudicated — and may be inflammatory in nature — public disclosure could subject defendant to immediate and irreversible reputational harm, with serious consequences for her professional standing, public service and reelection,” Auster wrote.
Scholten, a second-term lawmaker, is up for reelection this fall in west Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District.
The release of “potentially inflammatory information” could unintentionally erode public confidence and undermine Scholten’s credibility, the congresswoman’s attorney said.
Holcomb’s lawyer, Victoria Drake, supported the motion to seal the records. In her response, Drake said Holcomb admitted “information related to defendant’s personal life could unintentionally erode the public’s opinion of her.”
Kent County Circuit Court Judge Matthew DeLange denied Scholten’s motion to seal the records on Feb. 16, according to court records.
On Friday, Max Ernst, Scholten’s chief of staff, said Scholten “sought to keep initial proceedings private for her safety and the protection of her young children.”
“The congresswoman has issued a transparent letter to her constituents about this personal matter and beyond that, she will not be discussing it further,” Ernst said in a statement to The News. “She is focusing her time on raising her kids and serving Michigan’s 3rd District. We ask that you respect her privacy and the privacy of her children.”
To date, two Republican candidates have announced they intend to challenge Scholten: longtime Grand Rapids television meteorologist Terri DeBoer and Grand Rapids trial attorney J. Allen Fiorletta.
Trump pens foreword for retired Michigan autoworker’s book
President Donald Trump has followed through on a promise and penned the foreword for the upcoming book written by Macomb County resident Brian Pannebecker, the leader of the group Auto Workers for Trump.
Pannebecker and Trump struck a deal concerning the book during a rally in Macomb County in 2025. The book, entitled “Blue Collar Conservative from Reagan to Trump,” is scheduled to be released this summer.
An autoworker for more than three decades before retiring from a position at Ford Motor Co.’s Sterling Axle Plant at the end of 2020, Pannebecker has been a staple of Trump’s campaign events in Michigan. The book is about Pannebecker’s life.
In Trump’s foreword, the president refers to Pannebecker as a “good friend” and a “cherished supporter.”
“In the following pages, you will see how Brian was a crucial part of our Big Victories in Michigan going all the way back to the beginning of this Movement to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” Trump wrote.
Haley Stevens releases her tax returns first in U.S. Senate race
Ahead of tax day last week, U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens became the first U.S. Senate candidate in Michigan to release her 2025 tax return, issuing a challenge to her rivals in the race to do the same.
“I’m not a millionaire, and I’m not running for office to line my pockets,” Stevens said in a statement. “People are tired of politicians getting rich when they should be working for us.”
Her top Democratic opponents took Stevens up on her challenge, with both state Sen. Mallory McMorrow of Royal Oak and physician Abdul El-Sayed making tax returns available to The Detroit News.
The campaign of Republican Mike Rogers, a former seven-term congressman from White Lake Township, declined to provide his return. Rogers spokeswoman Alyssa Brouillet said Rogers’ required financial disclosure report is already public, but that Stevens should thank Republicans for her tax refund because the GOP’s domestic policy bill helped to boost refunds by an average 11% around the country this year.
Stevens reported no income outside her congressional salary. She paid $28,249 in federal taxes on income of about $169,970 after claiming the state and local real estate tax deduction, mortgage interest deduction, and the personal property tax deduction, per a redacted copy released by her campaign. She got a refund of $3,579.
McMorrow filed jointly with husband Ray Wert, paying $79,679 in federal taxes on $415,788 worth of income. They took the standard deduction and the qualified business income deduction and received a refund of about $6,400.
El-Sayed received an extension on his 2025 tax return and plans to file in October, according to his campaign. Instead, he provided a redacted copy of his 2024 return, which he filed jointly with his wife, Sarah Jukaku, a psychiatrist.
El-Sayed paid about $92,000 in federal tax on about $431,940 of income after claiming the standard deduction and the qualified business income deduction.
“While it is commendable that Congresswoman Stevens has not enriched herself while in office, she has certainly enriched the corporations that make life so unlivable for Michiganders,” El-Sayed spokeswoman Roxie Richner said.
“She’s taken huge amounts from DTE, Big Insurance companies, Big Tech companies, and AIPAC donors.”
Bergman endorses Bouchard
U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman is endorsing Mike Bouchard in a competitive GOP primary to replace outgoing U.S. Rep. John James, who is running for governor.
Bouchard, an Army paratrooper and son of the Oakland County Sheriff of the same name, announced his candidacy for James’ suburban Detroit U.S. House seat last November after returning from a deployment to Iraq. Bergman, R-Watersmeet, recognized the younger Bouchard’s service record in proclaiming his endorsement.
“I’ve served alongside some of the finest Americans this country has to offer,” Bergman said in a statement. “Captain Michael Bouchard meets that standard. He’s disciplined, principled, and understands what it means to put mission-first. I know he’s ready to fight for the people of Michigan’s 10th District and deliver results on Day 1.”
Bergman is the first current member of Michigan’s congressional delegation to endorse a candidate in either of the competitive Republican or Democratic primaries in the race to replace James.
“Congressman Bergman is a true American leader and I am honored to have his support,” Bouchard said in response to the endorsement.
Bouchard, of Rochester Hills, will face off in the GOP primary against Robert Lulgjuraj, a former Macomb County assistant prosecuting attorney.
Lulgjuraj, of Sterling Heights, was the first entrant into the primary and has raised about $1.2 million to date, but Bouchard has closed the money gap in recent months. Both are first-time candidates.
Tweet of the Week
The Insider report’s “Tweet of the Week,” recognizing a social media post that was worthy of attention or, possibly, just a laugh, from the previous week goes to state Sen. Sarah Anthony, D-Lansing.
On Wednesday, Republican candidate for governor Perry Johnson made a campaign stop in downtown Lansing. While his campaign bus was parked in the southbound lane on Washington Square and Johnson was being interviewed by reporters, an employee of Lansing parking enforcement pulled up to give the bus a ticket for blocking traffic.
In response, Anthony highlighted the infamous high level of activity of the parking watchdogs in the capital city.
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Insider: Rep. Hillary Scholten sought to seal her divorce records
Reporting by Craig Mauger, Melissa Nann Burke and Grant Schwab, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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