Political Campaign Managers on Michigan State Payroll?

Michigan District 81 State Representative Lauren Hager might be thinking: “I might have committed a felony”, after recent revelations that he violated Michigan State Campaign Finance law.

Hager’s handpicked sixteen-month St. Clair County Commissioner Phil Pavlov as his successor, Pavlov might now have second thoughts in what appears to be stepping in more than “termed out” Lauren Hager’s shoes.

Michigan State Representative Hager – Possible Felony for using state employee as Campaign Manager on Michigan payroll.

Lauren Hager might be thinking: “I might have committed a felony”, after recent revelation of violating Michigan State Campaign Finance law.

Hager allegedly made use of a Michigan state employee as his 2000 reelection campaign manager, according to the Tony Trupiano Show. In an hour interview, former state employee Mark Powell also exposed campaign fixing in 1998 and 2000 in the St. Clair County state district’s elections by state employee electioneering.

Former state employee Mark Powell elaborated on age-old practices by the unique relationship between the House Republican Campaign Committee (HRCC), and independent political committee and the state funded Michigan Republican Caucus Communications Office.

Powell said then Communications Director Todd Anderson; current Chief of Staff to Speaker Rick Johnson assigned him to the 2000 Hager re-election campaign in Michigan’s 81st legislative district.

The complete interview from the Tony Trupiano Show on WXDX Detroit Talk Radio can be found at http://66.92.134.175/~benburch/old/TrupianoShow-(10-5-2004).mp3.

Powell filed complaints with the Office of Michigan Attorney General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The complaint alleges Hager violated Michigan Campaign Finance law by not reporting the fair market value of the campaign manager to his 2000 campaign.

Apparently, as noted in the interview, Powell actually lived and worked in the home of Representative Lauren Hager. As a state paid employee he managed the campaign for six-months, and Representative Hager never questioned who was footing the bill.

Sheesh -- how anybody can listen to Trupiano long enough to get anything out of it is beyond me. Not to mention the fact that whatever comes out of it is of questionable veracity.

First time I heard Trupiano, he was spouting about how his show was going to be different -- nothing but the truth, complete freedom of speech, all opinions welcomed and respected, etc.

Then, after a topic setup monologue, he took a phone call. Given that Trupiano's show is on a station that also airs Glenn Beck and Michael Savage, the audience is largely conservative. Not surprisingly, the caller's viewpoint differed sharply from Trupiano's. It wasn't long before Trupiano showed what his program was really going to be about: hate-filled, liberal claptrap. He called the person on the phone a jackass, told him to shut up and then hung up on him, adding "You're probably a racist, too" as he did.

Some 'freedom of speech'...

I thought just as you- so I took his guess to task and examined the proofs to his allegations--- trust me, Michigan is on the threshold of a criminal political scandal that will dwarf Wisconsin's Legislative Caucus scandal last year--- and, Wisconsin indicted better than 40 legislators and staff members--- do a search on Wisconsin Caucus Scandal- you'll see where I'm coming from.

Ohio also is at the start of the same---

I thought just as you- so I took his guess to task and examined the proofs to his allegations--- trust me, Michigan is on the threshold of a criminal political scandal that will dwarf Wisconsin's Legislative Caucus scandal last year--- and, Wisconsin indicted better than 40 legislators and staff members--- do a search on Wisconsin Caucus Scandal- you'll see where I'm coming from.

This staffer had copied every internal document possible- they showed clear intent to avoid state law, use of state employees in electioneering, and in fact had placed almost the entire freshman class after term limits in jeopardy of criminal indictments.

I'd try for a faster connection to hear for yourself-- the Michigan Campaign Finance Reform Network did and investigations are growing.

Ohio also is at the start of the same---

In any event, State Campaign Finance is in need of reform

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