State Rep. Angela Rigas (R-Caledonia) today received testimony from former Attorneys General Mike Cox and Bill Schuette at the House Oversight Subcommittee on Weaponization of State Government. Rigas, who chairs the subcommittee, thanked Cox and Schuette for their testimony.

“I’m grateful we were able to hear from two AGs that actually know their job description,” Rigas said. “Their testimony revealed this is an office intended to protect the public and uphold the constitution, not to target political opponents.”

Cox and Schuette gave an educational presentation, roughly over the course of an hour, on the vital responsibilities of an attorney general. Cox and Schuette talked about commitment to the constitution, state interests, and public safety. Schuette said supporting fair justice and empowering law enforcement are crucial for a successful attorney general.

“This really speaks to the issue of public safety,” said Schuette in testimony. “And if there’s an attorney general who supports policies to defund the police or is lax on enforcing the law, well I would describe that as reckless and irresponsible behavior.”

Current Attorney General Dana Nessel was also a frequent topic at the subcommittee. Cox and Schuette were critical of Nessel and her perceived political targeting of Republicans. Rigas specifically mentioned Nessel’s actions during the COVID-19 lockdowns and her actions against those who protested them. It has been documented that Nessel took civil and criminal action against countless protestors and business owners who would not comply with the governor’s COVID mandates.

“I’ve seen that firsthand,” Rigas said to Cox and Schutte. “In 2020, I was ticketed for a first amendment event and ultimately, our current attorney general tried stripping my professional business license for that. That’s a clear example of weaponization of state government. So, I appreciate you here to give the committee and the people of Michigan a clear understanding of what the proper role of that office is.”

Cox spoke on the abnormalities in Nessel joining federal lawsuits against the Trump Administration. Specifically, Cox mentioned the attorney general had joined onto a lawsuit against the Trump Administration over the administration’s right to let go probationary federal workers. Cox was critical of Nessel’s decision to have Michigan join the suit.

“Unfortunately, General Nessel has joined in that. That really has very little or nothing to do with the State of Michigan. In fact, quite the contrary.” Cox pointed out that Michigan state employees themselves undergo a probationary period of a year when they are first hired, but she isn’t suing for state employees let go during their probation.

Other topics included Nessel’s mishandling of the Flint Water Crisis and the prosecution of the 2020 Trump Electors. Rigas and the subcommittee are currently awaiting a response from Nessel’s office regarding a records request sent to her last week. The records request includes legal fees, contracts, fund reimbursements, and detailed invoices regarding the Flint Water Crisis prosecution. Cox speculated that Nessel was viewing the law through a political prism and not on the professional manner that an attorney general otherwise would.

“If you’re a Democrat, or a Republican, you have to fear prosecutors who view things through a prism like that,” Cox testified.

Other members of the subcommittee were allowed to ask questions before the subcommittee adjourned. Rigas’ said the subcommittee’s work is far from over.

“We heard some incredible testimony today,” Rigas said. “I’m looking forward to receiving the documents we requested from Attorney General Nessel and cross-examining them with the testimony we received earlier. I’ve got a feeling this is only the beginning of our investigation.”

A recording of the subcommittee testimony can be found online. For more information, please contact Rep. Angela Rigas at (517) 373-1403 or via email at [email protected].

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