Cocktails & Popcorn: The First Unsealed Grand Jury Indictment In Michigan For Stealin' The Children, Land & Vote - Happy Birthday, Sweetie!

Happy Birthday, Sweetie!

Are you an elected official in the State of Michigan who has received money, property from the Detroit Land Bank Authority, or any other Land Bank in Michigan, to change a vote or just vote to cover up bribery, extortion or a really fancy political campaign fundraiser for foreign donors who are not registered under the Foreign Agent Registration Act?

Did you solicit bribes for the purposes of going grocery shopping, the casino, child support or buying a bucket of fried schrimps?

Do you charge your constituents for constituency services?

Well, if you flinched at any time while reading this, more than likely your name has probably come up in one of the grand juries going on for the last few years in Michigan.

What a lovely birthday present for my Sweetie!

May there be many, many more....unsealed indictments, that is.

Michigan lawmaker indicted on bribery charge

Larry Inman

Lansing — Federal authorities have indicted Michigan state Rep. Larry Inman for allegedly soliciting bribes and attempting to extort a union group ahead of a 2018 vote to repeal the state’s prevailing wage law for construction workers.

The grand jury indictment, filed Tuesday in the federal court in Grand Rapids, includes text messages from the Traverse City Republican seeking political contributions from the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millrights union, which opposed the initiated legislation.

“Carpenters have been good to me, where are the rest of the trades on checks?” Inman said in a June 3 text to an unnamed union representative, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Michigan.

“We only have 12, people to block it. You said all 12 will get $30,000 each to help (sic) there campaigns. That did not happen, we will get a ton of pressure on this vote.”

Inman sent a carpenters lobbyist a similar text the same day, suggesting $5,000 contributions would not be enough for lawmakers to risk losing committee assignments if they voted against repeal legislation supported by Republican leadership.

“Get with all the trades by Monday,” he wrote. “I would suggest doubling what you given on Tuesday, asap, we never had this discussion.”

Two days later, Inman again texted carpenters union representative and noted he had a breakfast fundraiser at a Lansing lobbying firm. “See if there are checks you can get,” he wrote.

The Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millrights never made any additional contributions to Inman’s candidate committee, according to the indictment. Inman ended up voting to repeal the law, which had guaranteed union wages and benefits for workers on government-funded construction projects.

Inman faces charges of attempted extortion, solicitation of a bribe and making a false statement to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The charges carry maximum sentences of 20, 10 and five years in prison.

When asked about the charges by The Detroit News Wednesday morning, Inman said it was the first he’d heard of them and was “surprised it’s even come out.”

He said he spoke with authorities last year about a week after the Legislature’s vote repealing the state’s prevailing wage law.

“They had some questions on the vote,” Inman said. “I don’t have the slightest idea of what direction they’re going and why.”

Voting is beautiful, be beautiful ~ vote.©