As he prepares to let Donald Trump use his office for a campaign event, Livingston County Sheriff Mike Murphy seems to have forgotten what happened the last time he used county property for political purposes.
It was 2018 and Murphy decided he should appear in uniform alongside the Republican gubernatorial nominee Bill Schuette – with a county patrol car – in a television ad for the Schuette campaign.
Michigan Campaign Finance Law bars the use of property owned by the taxpayers for campaign purposes.
After I filed a complaint with the Michigan Secretary of State’s office, the office concluded that a probable violation of Michigan law had occurred. (Click here for that story.)
Murphy reached a conciliation agreement with the state, paid the state $100 and $100 to the county to reimburse it for an hour of his wages and for the use of a county vehicle. He also reimbursed the county $585 for attorney fees associated with answering the complaint.
People will be watching exactly what kind of event the sheriff plans this time around. The event, after all, was announced by Trump’s campaign, so it must be a political event.
Maybe Murphy needs another lesson in the law against abusing taxpayer property.
