Criminal Justice
Meet the ‘ridiculously well-sourced’ Michigan journalist at the heart of the Mueller investigation
While President Donald Trump falsely claims that he’s “totally exonerated” by a four-page summary saying there’s no evidence that his administration colluded with Russia, Michigan-based journalist Marcy Wheeler is far from done with her work. Wheeler, an independent journalist who tweets and blogs under the name “Emptywheel,” has been covering the Mueller investigation since its […]
AG creates new Elder Abuse Task Force
Attorney General Dana Nessel and two Michigan Supreme Court justices on Monday announced a new task force dedicated to investigating the abuse of seniors. Nessel, Justices Richard Bernstein and Megan Cavanagh, a coalition of lawmakers and more than 20 different organizations are urging awareness and greater action to stop the abuse of senior citizens, an […]
GOP celebrates AG’s summary of Mueller report, Dems want full report released
WASHINGTON — Attorney General William Barr’s conclusions of the long-awaited report from Special Counsel Robert Mueller have Republicans declaring victory for President Donald Trump, while Democrats demanded the full report see the light of day. Barr’s four-page summary of Mueller’s report into Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election was submitted on Sunday to […]
Nessel on MSNBC: State AGs will use ‘every tool’ to make Mueller report public
Michigan’s Dana Nessel, who was one of 17 state attorneys general to sign onto a statement urging Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report to be made public, said on national TV Sunday that the officials will use “every tool” to ensure transparency. Nessel appeared on MSNBC with a backdrop of her alma mater, the University of Michigan. […]
DeVos under fire from Michigan Dems over school sexual assault policy
WASHINGTON — U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is facing intense criticism from congressional Democrats and advocacy groups as she prepares to overhaul how schools handle sexual assault allegations. The forthcoming final rule — expected in the coming months — stands to be one of the most controversial moves of her tenure as education secretary. DeVos […]
Michigan joins 17 AGs in urging release of Mueller report
Special counsel Robert Mueller submitted on Friday to U.S. Attorney General William Barr his report on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined her counterparts in 16 other states and the District of Columbia to urge the report be released publicly. That comes after the U.S. House overwhelmingly […]
AG’s office: Why we canceled Engler interview
Attorney General Dana Nessel said on Friday that she had never encountered a situation in which an attorney was asked to recuse herself because someone essentially said, “I don’t like you.” Nessel and Assistant Attorney General Christina Grossi were elaborating at a joint roundtable with reporters on their decision to cancel a planned interview with […]
Nessel says same-sex adoption settlement is ‘airtight,’ talks Michigan marriage equality 5-year anniversary
Before she was attorney general, Dana Nessel was the lead attorney on a case challenging Michigan’s ban on same-sex adoption. She represented Jayne Rowse and April DeBoer in a suit against the state, DeBoer v. Snyder, which blossomed into a challenge of the “underlying issue” of Michigan’s ban on same-sex marriage. On March 21, 2014, […]
Nessel settles Michigan same-sex adoption lawsuit
Updated, 4:54 p.m. with comments from Mike Shirkey and Sam Bagenstos Attorney General Dana Nessel settled Friday with the plaintiffs in a 2017 lawsuit claiming illegal discrimination against a same-sex couple who were denied the opportunity to adopt. Under the terms of the settlement in Dumont v. Lyon, the Michigan Department of Health and Human […]
Whitmer signs 1st bill, restores northern Michigan judge
Updated at 12:08 p.m. on March 22. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed her first bill Thursday — and it’s sponsored by a Republican. The Democratic governor and Republican leaders have repeatedly stressed their intention to work together in this new era of divided government. They’ve had some major kerfuffles in the first few months of Whitmer’s […]
AG office ‘certainly hopes’ subpoenaing Engler won’t be necessary
A dispute over former Gov. John Engler’s scheduled interview with Attorney General Dana Nessel’s investigators regarding his role overseeing the Dr. Larry Nassar scandal turned public — and nasty — this week, as Engler’s lawyer accused her investigation of bias. Engler had served as interim president at his alma mater, Michigan State University, until he […]
Supreme Court takes Schuette private email case
The state’s highest court announced Wednesday it will hear a case to determine whether private emails from former Attorney General Bill Schuette should be disclosed under Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act. The Michigan Supreme Court issued an order in which it agreed to hear the case, Progress Michigan v Schuette. And the court said it […]