ETHICAL MISSTEPS

Congressman John (what am I running for now) James (R-Rochester, Rochester Hills, Shelby Township, most of southern Macomb County) has been campaigning for some office or another the last eight years or so that you would think he’d have the rules of running down pat. But, no-o-o-o-o-o! Joel Rutherford, a 10th District constituent and an Air Force veteran, filed a U.S. House Ethics Committee complaint against James for “blatant misuse of taxpayer money to help his campaign.” According to Rutherford, James used taxpayer-funded federal government resources to promote his campaign for governor, which would be illegal and a potential ethics violation. The U.S. Hatch Act states that federal employees – including elected officials – cannot engage in partisan political activity while on duty or in a government workplace, use their official authority to influence an election, or solicit political contributions at any time. Rutherford stated that on August 20, James and his congressional office hosted an official “Backpack Giveaway Event” at Jimmy John’s Field in Utica, MI. The event was hosted and advised by James’ congressional office with the official congressional seal of the United States Congress. However – at the venue, the backpacks were surrounded by John James for Governor posters. One Republican strategist noted that is one of the problems with office staff working on campaign events. “It’s carelessness,” he said, noting James’ gubernatorial announcement was on his congressional website. “Take the time and rewrite your website.” At the same time, Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Leonard unveiled the Michigan Accountability and Ethics Package, a sweeping plan to restore integrity and transparency in Lansing, along with an Independent Ethics Commission. “Michiganders deserve a transparent and accountable government they can trust, and our campaign is about providing real solutions to make that happen.”

John James

Joel Rutherford