Lansing — The Michigan Secretary of State’s Office determined Thursday that Democrat Eli Savit potentially violated campaign finance law by using a Washtenaw County government gas card and vehicle for travel as part of his bid for attorney general.
In April, a Detroit News investigation revealed that Savit, who’s the Washtenaw County prosecutor, repeatedly used a government gas card to purchase fuel for his trips to and from campaign events.
The News compared the location of gas stations where Savit’s county government card was used over the 12 months leading up to April with posts on his Facebook page and elsewhere about his campaign stops, finding at least 21 instances where the purchases matched locations Savit was campaigning.
The News’ reporting led to a complaint with the Secretary of State by longtime Michigan lawyer Bob LaBrant, alleging Savit and Washtenaw County broke the standards of the Michigan Campaign Finance Act, which bars using public resources for a campaign.
The Secretary of State’s Office informed Savit, the Democratic candidate for Michigan’s top law enforcement position, and LaBrant on Thursday that it had found sufficient evidence to believe a potential violation occurred.
“This potential violation exists because publicly funded and owned resources, specifically the county‑owned vehicle and county credit card, were used for Savit’s campaign activities, rendering them expenditures under the act,” wrote Callie Dendrinos, a lawyer with the Michigan Bureau of Elections.
The finding sets off a 90-day window for the Secretary of State’s Office, which is led by Democratic candidate for governor Jocelyn Benson, to informally resolve the potential violation with Savit, who was selected as the party’s candidate for attorney general at convention on April 19.
If a resolution to correct or prevent further violations can’t be reached, the matter could be referred to Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office “for the enforcement of any criminal penalty” or a civil hearing could be commenced, according to a letter by Dendrinos.
A violation of the state law against using public resources to campaign can be a misdemeanor.
Savit, who was first elected Washtenaw County prosecutor in 2020, previously said his use of the county resources to get him to campaign stops around the state had been legal because his county compensation package provides him “unlimited use of a county-provided vehicle.”
In a statement Thursday, Christy Jensen, Savit’s campaign spokeswoman, said his team disagrees with the Secretary of State’s initial findings and “will be exploring our legal options to seek review.”
“Eli voluntarily reimbursed the county months ago for gas purchases dating back to when he announced his campaign,” Jensen added. “He has since secured a dedicated campaign vehicle.”
The Secretary of State’s Office didn’t conclude that Washtenaw County government violated the law.
However, the office found that the vehicle and gas card were public resources and “not Savit’s personal property.”
“Savit does not own the car or the credit card,” Dendrinos wrote. “The county permits his use of them, and only for so long as he is employed with the county. Should Savit ever leave his position, he will lose the right to their possession and use. They therefore remain public resources.”
The News investigation tied $838 in gas purchases by Savit to campaign events outside Washtenaw County.
Some of Savit’s gas purchases using the county gas card were as far away as Ontonagon and Iron Mountain in the western Upper Peninsula, more than 500 miles away from Washtenaw County.
cmauger@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: State finds potential violation in AG candidate’s use of county car
Reporting by Craig Mauger, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Craig Mauger, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
