Brian Calley To Help Children Tortured & Trafficked By Michigan

Michigan Lieutenant Governor and 2018 Gubernatorial candidate Brian Calley says Michigan State University should put up "100s of millions" for the child victims of Nassar sexual molestation cases and stop fighting lawsuits.

Awwwww, how cute.

I wonder what Calley is going to suggest for the tens of thousands of child victims of foster care and adoption who have been legally kidnapped, trafficked, violently raped, daily, used as lab rats for pharmaceutical experimental testing, aged out to become homeless to fend for themselves, having been denied an education by the state, to find a way to eat without having to sell their bodies because the state cut them off of what little help that SNAP provides?

I wonder what Calley is going to suggest for the children who have been murdered, attempted and have suicided in foster care and adoption?

I wonder what Calley is going to suggest for the children who have been poisoned, damaged for life in the intentional poisoning of Flint?

I wonder what Calley is going to suggest for the children who have been bought and sold through Michigan's child welfare system?

I wonder what Calley is going to suggest for the parents who have had their children legally kidnapped by Michigan's child welfare system?

I wonder what Calley is going to suggest when the feds hit the State with sanctions for allowing all this to go, for years, despite being put on notice, over, and over, and over again?

We should ask him or we could just wait for the State Auditor General Findings Report because this entire investigation may prove to be bigger than the Jerry Sandusky Penn State scandal, which will not be good for the gubernatorial campaigns of Bill Schuette or Brian Calley, because it will deal with foster care and adoption federal funding, like Medicaid.

Calley: MSU should put aside '100s of millions' for Nassar victims; stop fighting lawsuits

LANSING – The Michigan State University Board of Trustees should put aside hundreds of millions of dollars to compensate victims of former doctor Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse and stop fighting to dismiss the lawsuits brought by Nassar’s survivors, Lt. Gov. Brian Calley said Saturday.

Calley, an MSU alumnus who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor, spoke out about the crisis at MSU for the first time in an interview with the Free Press.

Calley said he welcomed the apologies MSU trustees offered at a board meeting Friday, along with promises to take a new approach to dealing with the sex abuse scandal, but said: “I strongly encourage swift action that demonstrates a clear commitment to a dramatic shift in priorities.”

More: Schuette: Special prosecutor, Michigan State Police will lead investigation into Michigan State

That should include establishing a victim compensation fund, which “will likely need hundreds of millions of dollars,” and giving instructions to MSU attorneys to “drop all attempts to dismiss lawsuits” brought by victims, and instead push for the lawsuits to be sent to mediation for settlements, he said.

Jason Cody, an MSU spokesman, could not immediately be reached for comment Saturday.

Rachael Denhollander, the first woman to go public with a sexual assault allegation against Nassar, after complaining to MSU police in 2016, said she agrees with Calley’s recommendations.

She told the Free Press on Saturday she is grateful Calley supports doing “what is right” over “institutional protectionism.”

The comments from Calley, a close ally and adviser to Republican Gov. Rick Snyder, could ramp up pressure on the MSU Board of Trustees after Snyder signaled Friday he is considering unspecified action against the trustees, which could include formal inquiries aimed at removing them from office.

However, the legal position Calley advocates for MSU is in stark contrast to the position the State of Michigan has taken on lawsuits brought in recent yearsin both the Flint water crisis and the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency false fraud scandal. In both of those cases the state has aggressively fought lawsuits every step of the way and has attempted — sometimes successfully — to have lawsuits dismissed. 

"It's very ironic," said Royal Oak attorney Jennifer Lord, whose firm represents plaintiffs suing the state in cases related to both the lead contamination of Flint's drinking water and the close to 40,000 Michigan residents who applied for jobless benefits and were falsely accused of fraud and financially punished by a state computer system run amok.

More: Gov. Rick Snyder mulling action against MSU's Board of Trustees

More: Michigan State's Tom Izzo 'definitely not retiring', supports survivors

"Everyone would be well-served for the state to take its own advice so the victims of these state-created harms can get a hearing," Lord said.

"It's the right thing to do at MSU, and it's the right thing to do for the citizens of Flint and the individuals falsely accused of fraud."

Calley didn't give a direct answer when asked why he's advocating mediation for MSU when the state continues to try to get the Flint lawsuits thrown out of court. But he said the state has appropriated close to $300 million to help Flint since the water crisis began and MSU should have quickly appropriated a similar sum to help Nassar's victims.

He said it is particularly wrong for MSU to seek to dismiss victim lawsuits based on the statute of limitations, because it is not uncommon for sexual assault victims to not feel ready to come forward for extended time periods.

As for the unemployment insurance false fraud debacle, "I just don't think it's appropriate to compare sexual assault to unemployment claims cases," he said.

Nassar, who worked for MSU and with USA Gymnastics for 20 years, was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison Wednesday on seven charges of sexual assault, six of which occurred at MSU. His seven-day sentencing hearing included emotional statements from 156 women and girls who described the abuse they suffered from Nassar, under the guise of treatment.

Amid a flurry of investigations, MSU's athletic director, Mark Hollis, announced his retirement Friday after MSU President Lou Anna Simon announced her resignation Wednesday night.

Calley said he welcomes the investigation into MSU by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette — which Schuette spoke about at a Saturday news conference in Lansing, where he said he would be assisted in the investigation by the Michigan State Police.

Retired Kent County prosecutor William Forsyth, who Schuette named to lead the investigation, is "independent, tough, and holds the highest ethical and professional standards," Calley said. 

"All decisions, including those made by previous investigators — like the botched Title IX investigation — need to be examined," Calley said.

MSU received a 2014 complaint about alleged sexual abuse by Nassar under Title IX of the U.S. Education Amendments of 1972, which is designed to protect students from gender discrimination. The investigation, conducted by MSU officials, cleared Nassar.

Calley said the board must "make justice and healing for the survivors the top priority."

Justice and healing should be put "ahead of MSU, ahead of liability concerns, ahead of insurance company requirements," he said.

That should be the "measuring stick" used to assess all actions, including those taken by MSU attorneys, he said. "Does this advance the interests of the victims?'

The board should also "take transparent actions to protect current and future students," Calley said.

"The only way the public will ever have confidence that this will never happen again is for them to be confident that they know exactly what happened," he said. "An open and complete independent investigation, available for public scrutiny, is required."

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Will Nessel Interview Engler About Trafficking Tiny Humans & Other Bush-Clinton Operations At MSU?

Will Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel interview Engler about his "activities" in privatizing those child welfare contracts in Medicaid fraud...

...or his real estate development projects of his buddies...

...or the Michigan Children's Trust Fund...

...or Bush Haiti Foundation...

...or the Clinton Foundation...

...or that pesky attorney-client privilege...

...or the blackmail...

....let me stop there, because I want to watch to see what Dana does...

Michigan's attorney general looks to interview Engler about MSU

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has directed her MSU investigation team to interview former Michigan State University Interim President John Engler, her office said Thursday.

Nessel made the request Monday before Engler stepped down from the post amid controversy. Her office had already contacted MSU to try to set up the interview and the attorney general is “counting on him to honor the request despite his resignation,” said spokeswoman Kelly Rossman-McKinney.

Officials have already contacted MSU attorneys to try to set up the interview and Nessel is “counting on him to honor the request despite his resignation,” said spokeswoman Kelly Rossman-McKinney.

Nessel was concerned by the “lack of transparency and overall cooperation” by MSU under Engler, Rossman-McKinney said.

Engler, citing the advice of counsel, has refused to hand over certain MSU documents in the Larry Nassar investigation based on client-attorney privilege. Nassar had sexually assaulted young women for decades while an MSU and USA Gymnastics doctor, and is effectively serving a life sentence in prison.

MSU spokeswoman Emily Guerrant said Thursday she just became aware of the request to interview Engler.

"I don't see why he wouldn't comply with it," Guerrant said, adding that Engler is in Texas for the interment of his father-in-law.

Engler submitted a letter of resignation on Wednesday that the Board of Trustees accepted on Thursday.

During last Friday's editorial board meeting with The Detroit News, Engler said a judge has reviewed all of the documents and there are 29. If the judge rules that MSU should turn them over, Engler said the university would “absolutely happily to turn those over and privilege is protected for those.”

“There is no issue in those documents, but we are sure resisting the idea that insurance companies should get access to that information at a time when we are in litigation with them,” Engler said.

Nessel’s office is continuing its investigation of MSU and its role in the Nassar scandal after special prosecutor William Forsyth stepped down when his contract expired at the end of last year. Forsyth had been appointed by former Attorney General Bill Schuette.

Christina Grossi is the lead assistant attorney general in the ongoing probe and is working with chief investigator David Dwyre.

The investigation under Forsyth led to criminal charges against former President Lou Anna Simon along with Kathie Klages, the former head MSU women's gymnastics coach, and William Strampel, the former dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine. Simon's preliminary hearing will be held later this month.

Forsyth's December report on the investigation noted the university had repeatedly stonewalled the investigation "it pledged to support."

“Given the change at MSU,” Nessel’s office may approach the university again for documentation that had previously been withheld during the investigation, Rossman McKinney said. She said Nessel’s office is “hoping for a renewed commitment to transparency.”

The change in the interim presidency and changes in the board membership “provides an opportunity to revisit some of our earlier requests that were denied or argued as privileged or we were told they didn’t exist,” Rossman McKinney said.

When asked whether MSU’s general counsel Bob Young, an Engler appointee, would prove a roadblock to that task, Rossman McKinney said she couldn’t speculate.

MSU Trustee Joel Ferguson on Thursday denied allegations that MSU stonewalled the investigation and said the university has cooperated throughout the process. He said each trustee cooperated when interviewed by investigators.

“This is Forsyth giving a rationale of why he couldn’t find anything on us,” Ferguson said. “It’s a nonissue.”

Ferguson said the university has withheld just 29 documents, which are being reviewed by a judge. Rossman McKinney said the university initially withheld or redacted 7,651 documents.

The university voluntarily released 1,000 documents after Attorney General Schuette's office challenged the denial in court. Of the remaining 6,651 of the documents, 177 were ruled not privileged and went to the attorney general.

MSU objected to the release of 29 of the 177, keeping them tied up in court longer. 

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Michigan Legislature Blackmailed MSU Trustees To Hire John Engler Who Has Resigned

My interest would be to identify those Michigan Legislators who blackmailed the MSU Trustees, and if the Legislators who made the threats were compromised, themselves, then find out what they said, following it up by inquiring why no one said or did anything about it, or did they.

Running a state through threats is that monarchy stuff.

The board had two possibilities — former Michigan Gov. John Engler, a Republican, and former Michigan Gov. Jim Blanchard, a Democrat. Both were alumni with long ties to the school. But the state Legislature, then controlled by Republicans, made it clear to MSU — hire Engler or get ready to lose millions of dollars in state aid. Lansing State Journal, 1.16.2019

John Engler is currently battling the demons being summoned from his tenure at the helms of the State of Michigan.

John Engler is the father of privatization who has breech the children's trust, which is treason, because he raided the Michigan Treasury for the benefit of himself and the Privateers, in the name of the tax exempt god.

I always keep my vows.

On a mission...

John Engler resigns as Michigan State University interim president

After a controversial year in office, MSU Interim President John Engler resigned on Wednesday, sending an 11-page resignation letter to the school's board shortly after 6 p.m.

"In compliance with your request that I resign & in order to ensure an orderly transition to my interim successor, I hereby resign the office of President of Michigan State University effective 9 am, Wednesday, January 23," the letter started. "It has been an honor to serve my beloved university."

The move came hours after the board set a special meeting for early Thursday morning with the intent to fire him, the sources said. The timing of the resignation was uncertain, with details still being worked out.

Engler has been under heavy criticism for the past year, since he took over for Lou Anna Simon, who herself resigned under heavy criticism for her handling of the Larry Nassar sexual assaults scandal.

After setting the board meeting for 8 a.m. Thursday, board chairwoman Dianne Byrum told Engler the board would like him to resign or it would fire him, the sources said.

Engler and MSU spokeswoman Emily Guerrant did not return requests for comment.

Board members are expected to name a replacement for Engler during the Thursday meeting, sources told the Free Press.

It's a meeting that has been brewing almost since the day Engler took over as interim president at his alma mater.

Read more:

MSU board to Engler: Please resign

MSU trustee: 'Engler's reign of terror is over'

Like Simon, much of Engler's tenure has been taken up with fallout from the Nassar scandal and heavy criticism from survivors of Nassar's abuse. Engler survived a motion to fire him this summer, but the criticism hasn't abated.

Once the meeting was announced, board member Brian Mosallam, the leading critic of Engler, told the Free Press the time had come for Engler to leave.

"John Engler's reign of terror is over," said Mosallam, who has been pushing for Engler's departure for nearly a year. "Michigan State University will be returned to its people."

The latest round of criticism came after Engler told the Detroit News editorial board that Nassar survivors were "enjoying the spotlight" while the university is "trying to go back to work."

That launched a fresh set of criticism on social media and elsewhere from those who believe Engler should be gone.

Twenty-three of MSU's top academic administrators — mostly deans of various colleges and schools — signed a letter sent to the board Wednesday demanding that Engler be replaced.

"The pattern of comments by interim President Engler, including his most recent statement suggesting that some of the survivors of sexual abuse are 'enjoying' the spotlight, further harms the very people it is our responsibility to support," the letter said. "We do not support his continued leadership."

The advocacy group ReclaimMSU cheered the news that Engler was likely on his way out. It has been calling for his removal for months.

"He was a known entity," said Betsy Riley, a graduate student with the group. "He was a conscious choice by the the board to play defense."

The group said it would like the board to engage various groups around campus in the search for an interim president.

"They say, 'trust us," Riley said. "We can't trust them. This is the group that brought us Engler."

A tumultuous year in office

Engler was hired as interim president amid turmoil at the university.

Last January, MSU was reeling from heavy criticism for its lack of action towards Nassar, a former MSU doctor, after hundreds of victims showed up to testify in court about how Nassar had sexually assaulted them.

Hours after Nassar was sentenced on criminal charges, Simon, now facing criminal charges related to MSU's handling of the Nassar scandal, stepped down and the board began looking for an interim replacement.

The board had two possibilities — former Michigan Gov. John Engler, a Republican, and former Michigan Gov. Jim Blanchard, a Democrat. Both were alumni with long ties to the school. But the state Legislature, then controlled by Republicans, made it clear to MSU — hire Engler or get ready to lose millions of dollars in state aid.

In a closed-door meeting, Democratic board member Joel Ferguson — a Lansing powerbroker with ties to Engler — flipped his vote to Engler, giving him a 5-3 majority. Later that week, in a public vote, all eight board members voted for Engler to start.

In a press conference after being hired, Engler promised that "change is coming" and that he would "move forward as if my own daughter were on this campus."

Over the course of the next year, Engler drew criticism for a number of what his critics saw as missteps.

Among them:

• Engler canceled a $10 million healing fund set up to help pay for counseling for Nassar survivors. In doing so, he cited what he said was fraud of the system and said after the survivors got a $500 million settlement from MSU, they didn't need the fund to pay for their counseling. Earlier this month, the MSU board rescinded this action and reinstated the fund.
• In an April email uncovered by the Free Press and the Chronicle of Higher Education, Engler accused Rachel Denhollander, the first Nassar victim to go public,  of getting kickbacks from attorneys for filing a lawsuit against MSU. When it was released in June, it brought a new round of calls for the board to fire Engler, including  one from now Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
• In April, Nassar survivor Kaylee Lorincz said Engler offered her $250,000 to drop her lawsuit. After Lorincz made the offer public and was highly critical of it, a top Engler aide sent a private email obtained by the Free Press in which she said any such claims were "fake news" and made up by survivors.
• After announcing he was creating a chief compliance officer position to be independent and work as a check on MSU, Engler folded it into an existing office and reportedly didn't give the resources the CCO asked for to run the operation.
• When the school's alumni magazine created an issue dedicated to the Nassar scandal, including several pieces critical of MSU's handling of the issue, Engler cancelled the issue. Instead an issue with a lengthy question-and-answer piece with Engler focusing on what he called the positive changes he had been making at MSU ran.
• Engler drew complaints for his hiring, with many saying he brought in his friends and political allies. Drawing the most vitriol was a three-year contract given to Bob Young, whom Engler had appointed to the state 'sSupreme Court when he was governor. Critics said Engler should not have given out contracts longer than the time he was expected to be at the school.
• When the head of MSU's Title IX office — the department that handles sexual assault complaints on campus — left, Engler appointed Rob Kent as the interim head. Kent had been working in the school's general counsel office and had defended the school in various lawsuits brought against the school by sexual assault survivors who alleged the school didn't follow proper procedures. Those critical of the move said he wasn't the right person to reform the office.
• After MSU Athletic Director Mark Hollis stepped down, Engler named Bill Beekman, then the secretary to the MSU board, as acting athletic director. He promised a national search. Later, Engler hired Beekman, who had no experience running an athletic department, without doing a national search. He said he made the move because the school's coaches, including head basketball coach Tom Izzo and head football coach Mark Dantonio, wanted Beekman to have the job. 
• After a lawsuit was filed against MSU by a sexual assault survivor, MSU released a statement about the case detailing the visits of the person filing the suit to MSU's counseling center, a likely violation of federal student privacy laws. Internal emails obtained by the Free Press showed Engler was personally involved in the crafting of that statement.

"We believe the board should fire Engler," MSU faculty member Anna Pegler Gordon, representing the group ReclaimMSU, said during public comment at a Jan. 9 board meeting. She said the group believes Engler has repeatedly lied and been unsympathetic to Nassar survivors.

Engler: Set next president a clean slate

In a meeting at the Free Press last week, Engler said he knew he had upset some people and said he would have done some things differently. But he said he believes he had set the university up for the next president to have a "clean slate" when that person starts.

As for the disagreements and tension? Some of that had come from him not being used to being in a university environment, he said. It's different, he told the Free Press, in little ways, such as who sees his communications.

"Wouldn't be emailing," he said. "As governor, I didn't have to worry about FOIA (public records laws). Unfortunately, everything at a university is subject to FOIA."

It also manifested in big ways — such as his style and approach.

"I think what the university community struggles with ... as governor, I got sued a lot. Litigation is a pretty full-contact sport. This university community is not used to this. I'm probably too used to it."

Engler said the environment at MSU was "hyper-charged."

"There was a lot of pressure going on. I ended up becoming the lighting rod because I'm the guy making a lot of decisions. But at the same time, somebody had to do it."

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Bill & Bob Battle Michigan Child Protection Attorney Client Privilege Law In MSU Investigation

Bill & Bob battle in the arena of Michigan Child Protection Law.

See, it is like this.

In Child Welfare, anything dealing with the "best interests of the child", whether that be financial, physical or in this instance, all of the above, MSU, being a public university, does not have to turn over anything the Michigan Special Prosecutor requests.

Oh, you dare to challenge me on this position?

Well, riddle me this:  How does a parent access her children's educational and medical records from the State of Michigan, to enroll them in school, after the children were Legally Kidnapped, drugged, raped & tortured in foster care for years?

Last time I checked, Bill....Schuette, that is, said that since foster care is privatized, the parent must hire a private attorney because it is a civil matter.

Last time I checked, poverty was one of the criteria to put kids in foster care, meaning, No money, no justice as "The Poors" (always said with clinched teeth) have no civil rights.

Alas, Bill....Schuette, that is....is running a gubernatorial campaign and still has friends in D.C., and Bill...Forsyth, that is.... knows stuff, so I am putting my money on him.  Smooches!

Engler is scared, and rightfully so, because I am on a mission...

In the spirit of fuchsia...

MSU obstructing probe, prosecutor says

A special prosecutor has threatened to seek a search warrant against Michigan State University for documents investigators believe are “critical” in determining how school officials handled allegations surrounding disgraced sports doctor Larry Nassar.

Go Bill. Go Bill...Forsyth, that is.

The attorney general's office said MSU is "wrongfully withholding information" as well as constructing its communications in a way that obscures them for review. But the university countered that it is cooperating, while asserting attorney-client privilege in withholding some documents and redacting parts of others.

Oh Bob...you asserted attorney-client privilege.  You should really follow my work more closely.

More: Deal was to pay MSU lawyer $1.3M even if fired

More: Nassar victims: Engler has 'failed miserably' and must leave MSU

More: MSU trustees gather privately ahead of crucial meeting

The accusations are made in a series of letters exchanged beginning in April between William Forsyth, who was appointed in January by Attorney General Bill Schuette to oversee the independent Nassar investigation at MSU, and Robert Young, a former state Supreme Court chief justice who now serves as general counsel for the university.

Notice how the word "accusations" is plural.

Schuette named Forsyth in response to a request from the MSU trustees for an independent investigation of the school's actions regarding Nassar, a former MSU physician who is serving a de facto life term after pleading guilty to sexual assault and child pornography charges.

For a few plausible reasons why Schuette named Forsyth you can peruse over here.

The Detroit News obtained the letters through a Freedom of Information request to the Attorney General's Office.

NOTE TO THE DETROIT NEWS: Nice job on adopting the process of embedding docs!

Andrea Bitely, a spokeswoman for the Attorney General’s office, said she could not comment on whether Forsyth had obtained the search warrant he threatened in the June 15 letter. Forsyth said he has not received the documents he needs to do his review, alleging that the university's initial response was to provide scores of "irrelevant" documents, such as the school's bedbug control policy.

Bedbug policy is a much more serious issue than the welfare of children.  My goodness, you have John Engler at the helm, damn it!  You should know he does not care about tiny humans of "The Poors" (always said with clinched teeth) unless there is a substantial opportunity to "maximize revenues" through privatization, as Engler is the King of Privatization, you know.

Reached Wednesday night, Emily Guerrant, an MSU spokeswoman, defended the school's response to the investigation but declined to discuss Forsyth's statements.

"Oh, Engler, are you covering up your
personal, corporate inurement from your
public office, again?"

"Without knowing more specifics on what exactly MSU is accused of withholding, it's hard for me to comment," she said. "We have handed over more than 75,000 documents to the AG's office, and have been thoroughly cooperating with their investigation."

MSU is a public university, which means that even I should be able to get those requested docs through a FOIA...or did Engler privatize MSU when no one was looking? That Engler is so crafty!

The dispute between the special prosecutor and Young, Interim President John Engler's hand-picked legal counsel, comes amid growing calls for Engler's ouster. At least two trustees and multiple political leaders have called on Engler to resign for insensitivity toward Nassar's victims, and one trustee has implied he would try to convince colleagues to fire the former governor at Friday's meeting of the Board of Trustees.

Joel Ferguson, vice chairman of the board, declined to comment on the letters Wednesday night. The other members of the board did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Though Forsyth said he met with Young in late March, in an April 11 letter to Young, he accused the university of continuing to block his investigation by behaving in a manner that "impedes this office's ability to fully evaluate the propriety of the university's assertions of privilege."

At the heart of the issue is the university's privilege log, which list the documents MSU claims it can legally withhold. According to Forsyth, the log totaled nearly 200 pages as of June 15 and covers more than 1,500 emails. Forsyth questions whether all of those documents qualify for protection.

Bill...Forsyth, that is... how many times do I have to tell you that child welfare was privatized in Michigan by Engler, which means that he is not "obstructing justice" as you may think, he is invoking privacy in Child Protection Law.

Michigan Child Protection Law Public Act 238 of 1975 by Beverly Tran on Scribd

In a May 24 letter to the MSU Board of Trustees, Forsyth asked the university to reconsider its assertion of privilege, saying the Nassar case is "unparalleled in our time" and the university "stands at the very center of those events."

"You must decide whether it best serves the interest of the people of the State of Michigan — to whom you owe a fiduciary duty — to withhold information in response to an inquiry by the State's Attorney General," Forsyth wrote "If you decline to waive the University's privilege, it will be virtually impossible to determine MSU's role in the the events surrounding the Nassar matter."

In a June 8 letter, Young responded that Forsyth is overstepping his authority.

"It is shameful for the Attorney General to demand access to the university's legal advice because we both understand that you are not entitled to that advice and no court in the country would ever compel the university to give you access," the MSU lawyer wrote.

Young added that the university is working closely with the state, and only a small fraction of documents have been held back as privileged.

"The fact is we are and have been cooperating," Young wrote. "To date, MSU has produced 46,245 documents to your office. Of these, only 256 documents have been fully withheld as privileged and another 176 have been produced partially redacted for privileged communications: fewer than one percent."

Forsyth wrote back June 15, saying his concern that the university was trying to circumvent the investigation had been heightened because of a communication between trustees chairman Brian Breslin and other board members.

"Our concern that MSU might be improperly withholding information was heightened by an email produced by the university from Chairperson Breslin to his fellow trustees discussing non-privileged information but directing them to copy legal counsel on their response in order to 'protect client privilege.'"

Young’s reluctance to release the communications runs counter to the university’s promise to cooperate with law enforcement, said John Manly, a lawyer who represents the majority of women and girls who sued MSU, USAG Gymnastics and other institutions for failing to protect them from Nassar's sexual abuse.

Hang in there Bill....Forsyth, that is.... I believe FinCen has this "attorney-client privilege" issue covered.

Manly added that Breslin's advice to trustees to copy attorneys on their communication to avoid its disclosure is evidence of further “obfuscation and stonewalling.”

“If you wonder how Larry Nassar happened under this board, well, that’s your answer,” Manly said.

The special prosecutor asked in April for a judge to review of documents for which MSU claims attorney-client privilege to determine whether they should be revealed or protected.

"These concerns are of critical import because the Privilege Log reflects that numerous emails involving key individuals in our investigation (for example, members of the Board of Trustees, former President Simon, Vice President Bill Beekman, Provost June Youatt, and Associate Provost Terry Curry) have been withheld," Forsyth wrote Young on April 11.

One document involving former MSU gymnastics coach Kathie Klages is specifically called into question.

"For example, the Privilege Log states that Document MSU-AG-0132987 has been withheld based on the 'attorney-client privilege,' Forsyth writes. "The document is described as an 'email chain requesting information to assist in rendering legal advice regarding Nassar litigation.'

"The email chain is between Kathy Klagas (sic) and Tracy Leahy (dated December 13, 2016). While no job title has been provided for Ms. Leahy, her LinkedIn profile indicates that she has been the Senior Institutional Equity Investigator and Deputy ADA Coordinator for Grievances at Michigan State University since 2015. Based on her job title, it's unclear how Ms. Leahy could have rendered legal advice to Ms. Klagas in 2016."

In his June 8 letter, Young said Forsyth had improperly sought privileged information from MSU and "coupled that demand with the implicit and tawdry threat that the Attorney General will publicly and politically embarrass the Board if it fails to give into your demand."

"On so many levels, this latest demand brings shame on you, the Attorney General and our legal profession that is expected to model and show respect for the Rule of Law," Young wrote. "It is hard to think of a more sacred American legal principle than that a party is entitled to the honest advice of its lawyers and the inviolate assurance that that advice will be confidential and protected.

"That privilege is, as the United State Supreme Court has said, 'the oldest of the privileges for confidential communications known to the common law ...," Young wrote.

The decision to waive attorney-client privilege is not an easy one, said Peter Henning, a Wayne State University constitutional law expert. Once that privilege is waived for one group, it's waived for any other lawyer, journalist or citizen who requests the same information, he said.

“The problem isn’t so much Forsyth as everyone else who might sue MSU,” Henning said.

Attorney-client privilege covers anyone who works for the organization, even communications between two employees, as long as the subject matter encompasses legal advice, Henning said.

On the other hand, he said, “just putting an attorney on the cc list does not make it privileged.”

Henning said a search warrant like the one proposed by Forsyth — in which a judge sorts through the contested information to exclude the privileged pieces — is a way to speed up the process while still maintaining MSU’s privilege.

Read the embedded document for Child Protection Law.  Remember, privacy is always in the best interests of the child.

The letters were released on the heels of a meeting Friday at which the MSU Board of Trustees will consider appointing Young as permanent general counsel.

Engler appointed Young, a longtime political ally, in February as the lead counsel assigned to coordinate the numerous investigations involving MSU’s handling of the allegations against Nassar and Title IX lawsuits that have been filed against the school.

Bill...Schuette, that is, appointed  Bill...Forsyth, that is, as his long time political ally.  Like I have previously stated, you always want your crew in your corner.  This is a life or death battle of political legacies and I have my money on the Bills...Schuette & Forsyth.

Critics questioned Young's rulings on sexual assault cases while a high court justice after he was appointed.

He went on to serve as the university's chief negotiator of a $500 million settlement between the university and Nassar's accusers.

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First Engler, Now Bob Young - MSU Has More Legal Problems Ahead

Good thing Bob got severance pay.

Now, he can afford the best legal defense.

Michigan State fires Bob Young as chief lawyer

Bob Young, the man John Engler brought in to be the chief lawyer at Michigan State University, has been fired, just weeks after Engler stepped down as interim president under pressure. 

Young, the university's vice president and general counsel, will walk away with nearly $1.3 million — the full amount of his three-year contract, Emily Guerrant, MSU spokeswoman confirmed. Young worked for the university for eight months.

MSU acting President Satish Udpa announced the dismissal of Young in a statement, but did not address why he was let go.

“We appreciate that Bob stepped in last year to help the university with the settlement and many legal issues facing MSU. It was a time of transition in the general counsel’s office,” Udpa said.

He added that Brian Quinn, deputy general counsel, will take on the role of acting general counsel.

Reached  on Saturday, Guerrant would not explain why Udpa wanted to fire Young but said the former Michigan Supreme Court justice would get the full payout of his contract.

"He's not happy about it," Guerrant said of Udpa having to honor Young's contract that was ended more than two years early. "But he will do it."

Rachael Denhollander, the first woman to accuse Nassar of sexual assault, tweeted Saturday that "this is the first specific time I can say MSU valued what is right, and the message it is sending MORE than money."

"Thank you, (Michigan State)," she tweeted. "Thank you to acting President Udpa, and to the members of the Board of Trustees) who supported this. This means a great deal to survivors."

When Young's contract began in June, officials said could be dismissed for any reason, but that he would only be denied pay if terminated for cause.

Many MSU officials and several board members, could not be reached for comment Friday evening. A message seeking comment from Young was left at the MSU general counsel's office.

Trustee Joel Ferguson declined comment, saying board members agreed not to talk about the issue and let the university-issued statement stand.

Young, a former chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court and a longtime ally of Engler, had angered victims of serial sex abuser Larry Nassar while serving as MSU's point person in negotiations that resulted in a $500 million settlement with more than 300 women.

"Fantastic news to end the day," tweeted Jacob Denhollander, the husband of Denhollander.

John Manly, an attorney who represented the majority of Nassar's victims in the $500 million settlement with MSU, called Young "John Engler's legal attack dog."

"Instead of attacking the university's insurance companies and encouraging them to settle the cases, instead he chose a tactic where he would try to attack the survivors," Manly said. "He always treated the survivors as adversaries."

Manly said Young should have advised MSU to embrace the survivors, admit responsibility and apologize, arguing that would have lowered the amount MSU paid.

Instead, Manly said, Young "revictimized the survivors and utterly decimated MSU’s reputation."

Manly also said Young, as MSU's lead counsel, did not cooperate with the Michigan Attorney General's investigation into Michigan State and worked to withhold information under attorney-client privilege.

Manly also said a report from the U.S. Department of Education that slammed MSU for its noncompliance with the Clery Act "was sitting on his desk" since December but the board did not know about it.

"I think that is a big part of" his firing, said Manly.

Engler, who took over MSU as interim president in February 2018 after the resignation of President Lou Anna Simon, brought in Young later that month to join a new legal team as the school struggled to cope with the fallout from the Larry Nassar sex abuse scandal.

After the historic $500 million settlement was reached in May, Engler appointed Young as vice president and general counsel, effective June 1.

That month, the Board of Trustees approved Young's three-year contract, which came with a $425,000 salary. Trustees Dan Kelly, Dianne Byrum and Brian Mosallam voted no.

During the meeting, one of Nassar's victims, Kaylee Lorincz, lobbied the board to refrain from permanently hiring Young.

Then Engler was asked why Young was given a three-year contract when Engler, as interim president, would be gone before then, Engler said MSU needed to persuade Young to leave his law firm, that Young had negotiated the $500 million settlement and by the time the agreement is complete, Young's remaining time with MSU would be about 2 1/2 years.

"So somebody who has been part of that negotiation should be there to see it to its conclusion," Engler said.

Engler stepped down Jan. 16 at the request of trustees after he sparked a backlash by saying that some of Nassar's victims were "enjoying" the spotlight.

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Calley v. Schuette: MSU, Clinton Foundation, Child Welfare Fraud & Detroit Land Bank Authority

Calley v. Schuette 2018

Recently on beverlytran.com, I thought it would be fun to do political color commentary on the Michigan 2018 race for governor because I know stuff.

This race is going to be all about Michigan's Child Welfare System and the Clinton Foundation, including TARP, but specifically, Detroit Land Bank Authority, et al.

Calley called for money to fix the MSU-Nassar-Engler drama.

Schuette came back and did the Calley smackdown by taking the reigns on the MSU-Nassar-Engler drama by announcing Bill Forsyth to do the special investigation.

I must say that I am oddly stimulated by Calley because I did not think he had it in him.

In the spirit of fuchsia!

MSU case prods Calley push for new independent counsel

Lansing – Lt. Gov. Brian Calley is expected Friday to call on the Michigan Legislature to create a new class of independent special prosecutor in state law, citing potential conflicts of interest in cases like Attorney General Bill Schuette’s investigation of Michigan State University.

Calley dropped the ole "expected" use of his Lieutenant Governor superpowers to have th.e Legislature introduce, and pass, what I am calling an emergency Bill, only because the primaries are August and he would have to get "The Elected Ones" to actually come together and do something besides stealin'.

Schuette on Saturday announced that retired Kent County Prosecutor Bill Forsyth is leading the probe into MSU’s handling of the Larry Nassar sexual assault scandal, promising a thorough investigation “from the president’s office down.”

Actually, I do not have an issure with Forsyth for the simple reason that, if you are running a major, and this is going to be an historic investigation (trust me on this one) you really want people around you who are "ride or die" when it comes to taking on the deep, dark material that is about to be unearthed.

But Calley, a Portland Republican who is running for governor and competing against Schuette for the GOP nomination, said Thursday that special prosecutors appointed by the attorney general – such as Forsyth – are “not at all independent, and that is problematic.”

If Calley has an issue with special prosecutor function of the Attorney General's Office, then where was he when Schuette called Arena and Flood to do the Flint - Governor's Office investigation?

Calley will ask legislators to change state law to allow courts to appoint independent special prosecutors to investigate situations like the scandal at MSU. He said he wants to see that change as soon as possible.

If the law is changed, will it be retroactive and will it replace the Flint - Governor's Office investigation?

“This case is rife with potential conflicts,” Calley told The Detroit News. “Relationships, ties, connections do affect things. Having a truly independent review is important. It does not inspire confidence the way things transpired this week.”

How about calling in the DOJ?  It is called a referral.

Forsyth is known as a tough, fair-minded attorney, according to people who know him. But critics have questioned his impartiality because his 2016 retirement party was partially sponsored by MSU booster Peter Secchia, who is also a major GOP donor.

Whatever.

The party was a fundraiser for Silent Observers, a non-profit that relies on donors to gather anonymous tips to help police solve crimes, said program director Chris Cameron, who added that “there is no conflict” because the organization lined up all the sponsors.

Schuette’s office has fought criticism of the investigation, calling Forsyth an “honest and quality prosecutor who will get the job done.”

Forsyth comes out of Kent County, which has a land bank, which is under MSU, which advised Michigan on the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, which advised the Michigan Land Bank Fast Track Authority, which worked with the Detroit Land Bank Authority, which makes him a subject matter expert.

“His goal is to find the truth and he will, thoroughly and completely in an unbiased way,” spokeswoman Andrea Bitely said Tuesday.

And to find out what Michigan hid under all that TARP.

Interim MSU President John Engler, the former governor unanimously selected for the post Wednesday by the MSU Board of Trustees, is also connected to MSU boosters such Secchia. Engler joined the board of Universal Forest Products Inc., the company Secchia led, in 2003.

Enter the "cleaner" - Engler.

Secchia stirred controversy last week by saying parents who feel their children would be unsafe at MSU could send them elsewhere since the university has a long waiting list.

Asshole.

Calley’s call for a independent special prosecutor comes amid continued criticism of MSU trustees, who remain under fire over the Nassar scandal after former President Lou Anna Simon and Athletic Director Mark Hollis resigned last week.

Hey Brian, are you thinking what I am thinking?

"If you can get rid of Schuette's control of the MSU-Nassar-Engler drama by getting a special prosecutor, then you do not have to cite your conflict of interests with Schuette, considering the fact that you are under a state special investigation in dealing with your emails in the Flint Water Crisis."

House Speaker Tom Leonard, R-DeWitt, is among those continuing to call on the full eight-member board to resign. He said Thursday impeachment proceedings are “off the table” because they would require proof of “unlawful conduct.”

State elected board of governors are useless, just ask Debbie Dingell.

Leonard declined to say whether he thinks Snyder should launch a formal inquiry into possible neglect of duty or malfeasance by trustees. Snyder’s office said last week action against MSU leadership was “under review.”

Synder is too busy working with his legal defense team on rebuilding an image and soliciting funding to pay for it.

If Snyder did force any members out of office, he could appoint a replacement. MSU Board Chairman Brian Breslin works for the governor as his manager of appointments and helps Snyder make picks for a variety of open positions.

Precious, Snyder is under multiple federal investigations, just saying.

Leonard told reporters he thinks Engler was a good choice to lead MSU and thinks criticism over the pick is “very unfortunate.” Still, he said, trustees should step down.

Engler is the perfect choice to take over MSU.  He is a key target of the entire Michigan child welfare fraud probe.  Oops, did I just say that?

“Is there any of them right now that in good faith can travel this country or travel across the globe, sit down across from them, and be taken credibly by them as it relates to representing the university?” Leonard said. “I believe that answer is no.”

Separately, Republican state Rep. Jim Lower of Cedar lake on Thursday proposed a constitutional amendment that would abolish governing boards at MSU, Wayne State University and the University of Michigan and have the state’s next governor replace the elected members.

The joint resolution would also dissolve and replace elected State Board of Education members who have direct supervisory duties involving K-12 schools.

That sounds like one of those Clinton privatization authority-emergency law governmental takeover schemes.  

Lower’s proposed amendment would require a two-thirds vote in both chambers of the Michigan Legislature followed by statewide approval by voters in November. It would abolish boards at three major state universities – the only three nominated by political parties and then elected by statewide voters – and the Board of Education on Dec. 31.

On the first day of 2019, Michigan’s next governor would appoint new members to staggered terms. The appointments would be subject to review by the Michigan Senate.

“I believe voters should have the opportunity to decide for themselves whether or not the current system is working,” Lower said in a statement. “We need to place this on the ballot this year.”

Time to do a deep dive on Jim Lower.  I wonder if he was bribed or blackmailed.  Maybe he was just punked, like one of his other colleagues.

Two MSU trustee positions are up for election this year, but incumbents Breslin and Mitch Lyons have said they are not seeking re-election. Calley said Thursday he would like to see a Nassar abuse survivor on the board and would help those that run for the seats.

What about a survivor of human trafficking, considering the fact that MSU advised Michigan on its child welfare policies.

First-term Rep. Lower said he has long considered the nomination and election process for the state and university boards to be “problematic.” Nominees are selected at political party conventions and are not often well known by voters who see their names on the general election ballot.

“This situation, coupled with eight-year terms, leads to very little accountability and a lack of thorough vetting,” Lower said.

Rep. Adam Zemke, an Ann Arbor Democrat and vice chairman of the House Education Committee, said he is open to ideas to increase accountability for university boards but does not think gubernatorial appointments would accomplish the goal.

“I don’t see how we would be increasing accountability by taking away the voters’ direct voice in the process,” Zemke said.

I have a fabulous idea to increase accountability over Michigan's entire education institution, provide an option for justice for "The Poors".  Give the people access to legal representation through an educational legal defense trust fund.  Michigan has that Children's Trust Fund, never before audited, why not let the children use it instead of "certain" people using it as a slush fund.  Snyder has a legal defense fund for poisoning Flint's children, just saying.

Schuette, in his campaign for governor, called for a similar constitutional change this week, but Lower’s resolution proposes going further by also giving the governor appointment power for the State Board of Education, as recommended last year by a commission appointed by term-limited GOP Gov. Rick Snyder.

Speaker Leonard is not committed to taking up Lower’s proposal. He has tasked committee chairs with developing reform proposals in response to the MSU scandal and intends to let them “do their work and build the best proposals they can,” said spokesman Gideon D’Assandro.

“I think there’s going to be several ideas for potential reforms,” he said.

Make sure to comeback to find out what Schuette's next move is going to be.  This is actually turning out to be a really juicy race!

Smooches, boys.

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There Is Much More To MSU Title IX & Alumni Director Scott Westerman Resignation

I pulled the protocols for the Michigan State University Office for Institutional Equity and found this:

 Unique circumstances of individual cases may give rise to issues not addressed by this document, which may necessitate further discussion and agreement.

I am pretty sure there is more going on than just the Title IX investigation because this protocol document was created March 18, 2019 where the file name is tagged with "assets".

Alumni are assets, as in human capital?

Strange, huh?

By the way, where is Maura Corrigan?

Perhaps, she is busy preparing for legal appeals or in Kansas teaching its private corporations within the State government on the ways of stealin'.

MSU alumni director resigns amid investigation by Title IX office

Michigan State University's alumni executive director is under investigation by the school's Title IX office and has resigned, the school confirmed to the Free Press.

Scott Westerman

Scott Westerman, associate vice president for alumni relations and executive director of the MSU Alumni Association, told the school his resignation will take effect July 31. His resignation letter said he was moving to Florida to be closer to family and return to the private sector.

 Bob Thomas will serve as interim director of the MSU Alumni Association while a search for a new executive director is conducted, MSU spokeswoman Emily Guerrant told the Free Press after the newspaper asked about Westerman's status.

A complaint was filed against Westerman with the school's Office for Institutional Equity on Feb. 9, Guerrant confirmed. The investigation is ongoing. Further details weren't available. The OIE investigates discrimination, harassment, and violations of the school's Anti-Discrimination Policy and Policy on Relationship Violence and Sexual Misconduct.

Westerman is the latest high profile member of MSU's administration to leave. The university is going with ongoing fallout from the Larry Nassar case, along with other federal lawsuits alleging coverups of sexual assault reports.

Westerman has been at MSU since 2010, when he took over as leader of the university's alumni association.

He came to the university to MSU from Albuquerque, N.M., where he was an area vice president for Comcast Corp.’s West Division. Westerman obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in telecommunication from MSU in 1978. In 2001, he was awarded the MSU College of Communication Arts and Sciences Distinguished Alumnus award. Before coming to MSU as an employee, he was active in the school's alumni association, including chairing its national alumni board.

A number of MSU officals have left the university in recent months, starting with President Lou Anna Simon, who resigned under heavy pressure for her handling of the Larry Nassar case.

Athletic Director Mark Hollis stepped down as well in January, a couple of days after the NCAA announced an investigation into the school's handling of Nassar and hours before ESPN released a report critical of the athletic department handling of sexual assault accusations.

Robert Noto, the university's top lawyer, left in February. Before he left, MSU Trustee Brian Mossallam called for Noto to step down over his work during the Nassar case.

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Another Situation Of MSU, Land Banks & A Lack Of Understanding In The Prohibition Of Personal Inurement Of Office

Brianna Scott and the face of one who is devoid
of any ethical understanding of the concept of
public corruption.

Have you ever seen a facial expression devoid of any ethical understanding to prohibition of inurement in public office?

No, you say?

Well then, meet Brianna Scott.

I wonder what Bill Forsyth is doing.

Did you know Muskegon County has a land bank authority?

No, you say?

Well, now you know.

https://www.co.muskegon.mi.us/1059/Land-Bank-Fast-Track-Authority

And as everyone knows, with a land bank must come economic development.

But why is the concept of ethics so difficult to understand?

MSU trustees partner to buy, rehab downtown Muskegon building

Two Michigan State University board members have partnered to buy a dilapidated downtown Muskegon office building and redevelop it into a mixed-use property with commercial and residential spaces.

Brianna Scott and Joel Ferguson were awarded the bid Tuesday night by the city commission to redo the former Ameribank building at the corner of Clay Avenue and First Street. Terms of the deal are still to be worked out, Jake Eckholm, director of economic development for the city of Muskegon told the Free Press.

News of the partnership drew immediate reaction from those who believe Scott was the key in the killing of independent investigation of MSU's actions around Larry Nassar, the USA Gymnastics and MSU doctor imprisoned after he abused hundreds of girls over 25 years under the guise of treatment.

Rachael Denhollander, the first Nassar victim to go public about her abuse and one of three survivors to call out Scott for her role, said the deal should be examined.

"I find it reprehensible that Brianna Scott had time to accuse me of benefiting financially from the independent investigation all the while she was engaging" in this business deal, Denhollander told the Free Press. "It's time for the leadership at MSU to say, 'No more.' The issue isn't with the survivors, it's with the politicians and leadership. To campaign on (reform) and then to sell out survivors is reprehensible."

The building is currently a shell, stripped down basically to the metal frame. The city spent about $500,000 to buy the property and get rid of asbestos and do a partial demolition.

Joel Ferguson

Ferguson, with his Ferguson Development, is a prominent developer in the Lansing and Detroit area, including a partnership with Magic Johnson to develop a portion of the former Michigan State Fairgrounds in Detroit. He was originally elected to MSU's board in 1986 and is known for his tight ties to MSU athletics.

Scott is a Muskegon-based attorney who was elected to the board in November 2018 and took her seat in January. In her board bio, it says Scott has practiced real estate law.

Her spokeswoman, Debra Brown Hendrickson, said Scott has been looking at projects n the downtown for years, but hasn't been able to close any deals. She said there was no way the deal was Scott being bought off by Ferguson, who also opposed the independent inquiry into MSU's handling of the Nassar case.

"She is going to vote on the MSU board with what she believes in her heart is the right vote for the university," Hendrickson said, adding that "you cannot tell her (Scott)" how to act if she doesn't want to go that way.

"I can't imagine Joel Ferguson would be able to."

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is "always concerned about the appearance of impropriety or bias" and her office is "still in the process of determing how or if this relates to our ongoing investigation of MSU," Nessel spokeswoman Kelly Rossman-McKinney told the Free Press.

More: Nassar survivors: MSU president must act after 'complete betrayal' from board members

More: Attorney: MSU's $4.5 million fine an 'absolute punch in the face' to Nassar survivors

Scott's mom worked in building
Scott is active in the Muskegon community and her office is less than a half mile from the building she and Ferguson are buying.

Scott has long had an interest in what would happen to the building, where her mom worked as a department manager in the bank once housed there, Eckholm told the Free Press.

According to a report in MLive, Scott said that personal interest is driving her involvement.

“It’s going to be a sense of pride if we can take something that other people have looked at and two other developers previously walked away from,” she told Mlive. “It’s a pretty historic building and I want to do something great with it.”

“I think this will be something that could incentivize people to come back,” she said. “The city of Muskegon is putting its money where its mouth is. Especially when they see that their communities are going to help them establish the businesses they are dreaming of establishing.”

The 54,122-square-foot building was constructed in 1923. The city thought it has a deal with a local developer to rehab it, and would have sold it to him for $150,000. But that deal fell through.

Afterward, the city sent out a request for proposals in an effort to get regional developers interested. About five  were interested and two finalists were chosen.

One wanted to build senior housing, but city staff recommended Scott and Ferguson's company.

Housing proposal key
"This proposal calls for a market rate housing development at the existing site with two development scenarios pending the opportunity to conduct a construction analysis and other due diligence," Eckholm wrote in a memo included in the City Council agenda packet.

"The two scenarios have the same vision for the development, and simply differ as to whether or not the existing structure will be rehabbed and incorporated into the project or demolished and removed to make way for new construction. The concept vision calls for a commercial first floor that will activate the block with an aesthetic and accessible street wall, and the development proposal contains two letters of intent for these commercial spaces. One LOI is for a bar/restaurant development that would be owned and operated by the Potent Potables Project, a conglomerate of Lansing area restauranteurs, and the other is for an event space. This development does not commit to a specific number of units, rather calls for a market study to determine number, size, and amenities of units to accommodate the downtown housing."

Getting market rate housing into downtown was key to Muskegon, which Eckholm said was seeing more growth.

"Their rendering was more complete, their financials and project team composition was more in depth and detailed, and crucially, they approached the project with the appropriate amount of due diligence built in," Eckholm said in his recommendation. "This is a build-out concept that has already proven difficult for two other developers, and their request for the ability to conduct construction analysis and market study reflects a strong background in commercial housing development. They also featured a more robust commercial portion of their mixed-use proposal, which will better serve to 'activate' the corridor as highlighted in the City’s RFP."

The city also wanted to diversify its ownership base, Eckholm told the Free Press and wrote in his memo.

"880 First LLC, the project specific company that will own and develop this project is a completely minority-owned business, and is 50% woman-owned. By selecting this developer, we afford an opportunity for a local developer that will help move us toward a goal of increasing diversity of ownership in the community."

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