HOWELL, Mich. (WXYZ) — The Michigan Bureau of Elections is now investigating allegations that the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office violated the state’s Campaign Finance Act by hosting former President Donald Trump this week.
On Tuesday Livingston County Sheriff Michael Murphy and his department hosted Trump for a “press conference,” but thousands of residents online took issue saying they found it largely inappropriate.
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“Folks tend to be very very passionate about politics,” said Sheriff Michael J. Murphy in a Facebook video he posted previewing the event.
7 News Detroit reached out the Sheriff Murphy asking for an interview and he gave our team the following statement, “I don’t believe I violated the Campaign Finance Act.
Traugott said Sheriff Murphy has been found guilty of breaking campaign finance laws before in 2018 and was fined $100 to the state and another $100 to the county.
“Which is essentially just a slap on the wrist and, obviously, didn’t dissuade him from doing this again,” said Traugott.
The controversy comes as on August 7 JD Vance held an event at the Shelby Township Police Department to “deliver remarks.”
HOWELL, Mich. (WXYZ) — The Michigan Bureau of Elections is currently looking into claims that by hosting former President Donald Trump this week, the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office broke the state’s Campaign Finance Act.
Trump was invited by Livingston County Sheriff Michael Murphy and his team for a “press conference” on Tuesday, but thousands of locals expressed their disapproval of the event on social media, stating it was generally inappropriate.
In Howell, former President Donald Trump discusses safety and crime.
It may also be illegal in Michigan, as we are now discovering.
“People have a strong inclination towards politics,” stated Sheriff Michael J. Murphy previewing the event in a Facebook video that he uploaded.
Inquiring as to whether he had ever heard of a sheriff’s department engaging in such behavior in the past, 7 News Detroit contacted Michael Traugott, Research Professor Emeritus at The Center for Political Studies at the University of Michigan.
“Well, it’s not very common because it’s illegal,” Traugott retorted. “. .
His allusion is to the Michigan Campaign Finance Act, which states that the use of money, people, office space, computer hardware or software, property, stationery, postage, vehicles, equipment, supplies, or other public resources for the purpose of endorsing political candidates is prohibited for public bodies or those acting on their behalf.
When 7 News Detroit contacted Sheriff Murphy to request an interview, he provided our team with the following statement: “I don’t think I broke the Campaign Finance Act.”. I applaud the inquiry. “.”.
According to Traugott, Sheriff Murphy was fined $100 by the state and an additional $100 by the county in 2018 after being found guilty of violating campaign finance laws.
Which is basically just a slap on the wrist and clearly didn’t stop him from doing this again, according to Traugott.
The controversy arose from JD Vance’s “delivery remarks” event at the Shelby Township Police Department on August 7. “.”.
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According to Traugott, the terms “remarks” and “press conferences” are being used to describe these gatherings in order to keep them from being classified as political events.
In the end, the voters will have to decide how they feel about this because Sheriff Murphy is an elected official, he continued, adding that there is a fine of up to $1,000 if the Michigan Campaign Finance Act is found to have been violated. “.
