Public Payrolls and Political Workers

Michigan Capitol Confidential ^ | 9/10/2010 | Ken Braun

[MichCapCon]

Did a Michigan state representative use his taxpayer-financed office payroll to get political work done rather than official taxpayer business?

Should taxpayers have a right to investigate whether this sort of thing is going on?

How easy is it for the state's politicians to hide such conduct?

These issues are at the heart of a "Request for Investigation" sent by Democrat political consultant Joe DiSano to Michigan House Speaker Andy Dillon, D-Redford Twp. The nature and subject of DiSano's request provides a stark example of just how difficult it is for a private citizen to find out what is being done by the political appointees who are paid with public dollars, yet serve at the pleasure of the state's politicians.

DiSano is asking Dillon to look into the employment status of Glenn Clark, chair of Michigan's 9th Congressional district Republicans, after Clark's name surfaced this summer as an employee on the state payroll of state Rep. Paul Scott, R-Grand Blanc. Scott was then a candidate for the GOP nomination to become Michigan's next Secretary of State.

DiSano sent his request to the Speaker's office on Aug. 18, and made it public knowledge on the Sept. 2 edition of the "Two Guys Named Joe" weekly political podcast that he co-hosts with Republican consultant Joe Munem. DiSano and Munem discovered and questioned the propriety of Clark's name on Scott's public payroll after MichCapCon.com asked for the payroll lists from the Legislature and published them on July 21.

[MichCapCon]

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