Another complaint against Livingston County Commissioner Jay Drick has been filed with the Michigan Secretary of State Bureau of Elections, this one by Steve Williams, a former member of the board that Drick now chairs.
The first complaint against Drick was filed by Judy Daubenmier, chair of the Livingston County Democrats, alleging the same.
In his complaint, Williams — whose wife, Heather Williams, is running against Drick in the Aug. 6 primary — alleges that Drick used county facilities, county IT equipment, and county employees to turn the meeting into a campaign rally for himself and the other commissioners.
Williams also alleges in the complaint that Drick invited “close friend” state Rep. Bob Bezotte (who is facing his own weird primary this year) to present proclamations at the July 8 commission meeting to two of the commissioners — Dave Domas and Roger Deaton, who is facing a primary challenge from Tara Black Pearson. Williams said the event was not included in either the pre-meeting or approved agenda, “so no commissioner had the opportunity to object to a political campaigning event held during the last (Livingston County Board of Commissioners) meeting before the primary election.”
You can view the meeting in the video below, and you’ll see that the July 22 call to the public was rather unusual. People generally use call to the public time to air complaints or give opinions and information; this one, however, was more akin to a nearly hour-long public kissing-of-the-rings, “all while the 15-20 employees with business before the board had to watch and applaud,” Williams said.
There is absolutely no love lost between Williams and Drick, who supported the move by fellow Commissioner Wes Nakagiri to replace him on the board of the Huron Clinton Metroparks with Nakagiri’s hand-picked choice, the Rev. Bill Bolin, pastor of the controversial Floodgate Renewal Church, which defied state orders and stayed open during the pandemic. You can read all about that messy, messy move by clicking here. And there is also the matter of Williams’ wife, Heather Williams, challenging Drick in the primary.
Williams also included an email from Bill Reiber — who is running for a seat on the Genoa Township Board — to Livingston County’s precinct delegates sent on July 14, urging them to attend the meeting and “voice … support for these men that have supported law enforcement, low taxes, A2 rights and conservative policies.” Reiber also spoke during the July 22 call to the public.
Just before the meeting adjourned, Williams said Drick verbally attacked Heather Williams, and made “false and misleading claims” about her personal financial responsibilities without mentioning that the events he was referring to took place 14 years ago while she was going through a divorce.
Drick then took time while seated in the spot at the board table reserved for the chair to make what Williams said was a “campaign speech detailing his personal and professional history.”
You can watch the video below.
You can read Williams’ complaint below:
