Dana's Dispatch: Upholding Public Integrity, Defending Reproductive Freedom, Strengthening Regulatory Protections & More!

--------------------------------------------------------------- Democracy is on the ballot in Michigan this fall Michigan faces a scary set of circumstances leading up to this fall's election, but power is still in the hands of the voters. Michiganders can choose to elect qualified leaders who will protect this state, regardless of who they're running against. [READ MORE]( Dana Nessel, Dana Nessel on Facebook (June 13, 2022) Democracy is on the ballot in Michigan this fall Retrieved from: [Democracy is on the ballot in Michigan this fall]( --------------------------------------------------------------- AG Dana Nessel will always fight for access to abortion I’ve been saying it for years, & I'll say it again: I will not divert my office's resources away from our Elder Abuse Task Force, or Hate Crimes & Domestic Terrorism Unit, or consumer protection team, or any of our other 40,000-odd cases to prosecute a private healthcare decision. [READ MORE]( Democratic Attorneys General Association, Democratic Attorneys General Association on Facebook (June 12, 2022) AG Dana Nessel will always fight for access to abortion Retrieved from: [AG Dana Nessel will always fight for access to abortion.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Former Macomb County priest found guilty of 2nd-degree criminal sexual conduct This conviction marks the sixth one secured by my clergy abuse team. It’s also a reminder of our ongoing commitment to this investigation, as well our commitment to providing survivors with the resources they need to recover. We will continue to fight for justice. A former Macomb County priest was convicted of two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. Neil Kalina was a priest at St. Kiernan Catholic Church in Shelby Township from 1982-1985. He was first charged in 2019 and arrested in Littlerock, Calif. A jury found him guilty of the two charges but not guilty of a first-degree criminal sexual conduct. The second-degree charges carry 15-year sentences. "This conviction marks the sixth one secured by my clergy abuse team," Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said. "It’s also a reminder of our ongoing commitment to this investigation and the survivors in these cases. We will continue to fight for justice." [READ MORE]( Amber Ainsworth, Fox 2 (June 13, 2022) Former Macomb County priest found guilty of 2nd-degree criminal sexual conduct Retrieved from: [Former Macomb County priest found guilty of 2nd-degree criminal sexual conduct]( --------------------------------------------------------------- ‘This is not hopeless’: the progressive prosecutors who vow not to enforce abortion bans We’re not helpless, and this is not hopeless. We are taking this fight to the courts, to the ballot, and to our communities at large so that the next generation will not be stripped of the rights which have protected women for nearly half a century. Photo courtesy of The Guardian, AP Images Attorney General Dana Nessel says if Roe v. Wade is overturned, she won’t enforce Michigan’s abortion ban, along with at least a dozen law enforcement officials across the country – a bold statement that sets the US up for a complex legal landscape with different enforcement regimes in different states, and even within them. “I don’t want to see politicians removing the rights I had during the course of my pregnancy for other women,” says Nessel. Her opponent in the race for state attorney general this November, Matt DePerno, has said he would not support any exceptions to an abortion ban, even to save the mother’s life. Now, Nessel has a complex set of legal questions on her hands – even if she is re-elected, and despite having Michigan’s governor on her side. “I don’t want to see medical emergencies, where women are literally left to die on an operating table, because of an ectopic pregnancy, or complications in a pregnancy. I don’t want the doctor saying, ‘I’m out. I’m not going to risk losing my license … or going to jail,’” she says. So she is working in conjunction with Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who is bringing a lawsuit asking the Michigan supreme court to protect abortion in the state’s constitution, and to get a voter-backed referendum on the books that will protect other reproductive rights, such as the right to contraception. “We’re not helpless. And this is not hopeless. That’s the message that I want to send,” Nessel says. [READ MORE]( Poppy Noor, The Guardian (June 14, 2022) ‘This is not hopeless’: the progressive prosecutors who vow not to enforce abortion bans Retrieved from: [‘This is not hopeless’: the progressive prosecutors who vow not to enforce abortion bans]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Former Hillsdale County deputy charged with misconduct, potential victims asked to come forward Law enforcement officers that abuse their authority and violate the public’s trust must be held accountable. The Dept. of Attorney General is a haven for those who have been exploited or victimized. I encourage those with similar stories to come forward and report their experiences. Authorities are asking other potential victims to come forward after a former deputy from Hillsdale County was charged with misconduct. Todd Barkley, 46, of Brownstown Township, is charged with two counts of misconduct in office, both five-year felonies. The Michigan Department of the Attorney General says Barkley exploited his position as a law enforcement officer to coerce a suspect into a sexual relationship. According to the Department, Barkley arranged for the woman to be treated for substance use disorder at a rehabilitation center in Fulton, Kentucky and used his badge to take the woman out of the facility for the day for the purposes of engaging in sex. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said Barkley is also being investigated by law enforcement in Kentucky. Barkley is due back in court via Zoom for a probable cause conference July 8 at 2 p.m. for a hearing held in Jackson County’s 12th District Court. [READ MORE]( Jake Draugelis & Dane Kelly, WILX (June 14, 2022) Former Hillsdale County deputy charged with misconduct, potential victims asked to come forward Retrieved from: [Former Hillsdale County deputy charged with misconduct, potential victims asked to come forward]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Former Isabella Co. Corrections Officer Will Stand Trial for Inmate Assault This case was the result of our public integrity team scrutinizing Mr. Cluley’s conduct to ensure the oath to protect and serve was not neglected. We look forward to moving to trial. An Isabella County judge has ruled that there is enough probable cause to send a former Isabella County corrections officer to trial for assaulting an inmate in April 2020, Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Wednesday. “This case was the result of our public integrity team scrutinizing Mr. Cluley’s conduct to ensure the oath to protect and serve was not neglected,” Nessel said. “We look forward to moving to trial.” Last October, Christopher Cluley was charged with two counts of misconduct in office, which are five-year felonies, along with one count of aggravated assault, a one-year misdemeanor. Cluley had been working in the Isabella County Jail as the administrator in charge in April 2020 when he interacted with an inmate during a cell transfer. The transfer was a result of a disagreement between the inmate and another corrections officer, according to the Department of the Attorney General. [READ MORE]( 9 and 10 News Site Staff, 9 and 10 News (June 15, 2022) Former Isabella Co. Corrections Officer Will Stand Trial for Inmate Assault Retrieved from: [Former Isabella Co. Corrections Officer Will Stand Trial for Inmate Assault]( --------------------------------------------------------------- EPA sets stricter advisories for PFAS chemicals in drinking water I applaud the EPA for strengthening PFAS advisories, acknowledging even trace amounts of these forever chemicals can contaminate MI's natural resources & harm our residents. We will continue to hold PFAS manufacturers & users accountable when their actions pollute our state. New drinking water health warnings for four per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS have been announced by the Environmental Protection Agency in a move to reduce exposure to these chemicals. PFAS, called "forever chemicals" because they last so long in the environment, have been associated with serious health conditions, including cancer, reduced antibody responses to vaccines, reduced birth weight and possibly more, according to the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. There are 219 sites contaminated with PFAS in the state of Michigan with more than 11,000 sites where PFAS may have been used, according to the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel urged the Senate to take action on PFAs at the federal level last November, arguing that the state will be strengthened by congressional action to regulate these harmful chemicals and fund needed research and study of their effects. Though the drinking water advisories are not enforceable, they could have significant impacts on communities suffering from PFAS contamination. "These new health advisory limits are a strong step in the right direction to begin addressing the PFAS crisis and protecting our health," Sandy Wynn-Stelt, co-chair of the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network, said in the release. "Importantly, these advisories send a strong message to polluters, especially industries that use these chemicals that there is no such thing as a ‘safe’ amount." [READ MORE]( Angela Mulka, Manistee News Advocate (June 15, 2022) EPA sets stricter advisories for PFAS chemicals in drinking water Retrieved from: [EPA sets stricter advisories for PFAS chemicals in drinking water]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Michigan pushing FDA to regulate synthetic nicotine products I have sounded the alarm previously that we need regulations preventing synthetic nicotine products from being marketed to our kids. I stand with my fellow attorneys general in calling on the FDA to impose regulations on the manufacturers of these products harming our youth. Photo courtesy of Stephanie Keith, Getty Images Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined a coalition of 31 other state attorneys general to urge the United States Food and Drug Administration to reject marketing authorization for non-tobacco nicotine products, also called synthetic nicotine products. Synthetic nicotine products are sold without regulatory constraints on their contents, manufacturing, health effects or marketing claims. As a result, they are being sold in a variety of fruit and other flavors and have become increasingly popular with young people, according to the state in a Tuesday press release issued by Nessel's office. "The fact that the nicotine in these products does not come from tobacco does not make them any less harmful," Nessel said in the release. Should the FDA grant marketing authorization to such products, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the coalition say the FDA should impose the same restrictions required of tobacco-derived nicotine products, according to a letter written by the coalition to the FDA commissioner. "If anything, synthetic nicotine’s obscure origins, unexplored chemical characteristics, and use in flavored products that appeal to youth, call for heightened vigilance," the letter read. [READ MORE]( Angela Mulka, Midland Daily News (June 15, 2022) Michigan pushing FDA to regulate synthetic nicotine products Retrieved from: [Michigan pushing FDA to regulate synthetic nicotine products]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Letter Sent To Nottingham Forest Mobile Home Park Owner on Cleanup, Debris Clearing Our concern is that residents weren't given an opportunity to secure personal belongings before they were scooped up in the debris clearing. If residents feel the task was done without proper notice, we ask them to notify our Consumer Protection Team by filing a complaint online. Attorney General Dana Nessel’s Consumer Protection Team has sent a letter to the owner of Nottingham Forest Mobile Home Park discussing cleanup and debris clearing happening in the neighborhood. The letter comes after residents said they were not given prior notice to collect what was left from the tornado damage before the property would be emptied. In the letter, Nessel’s consumer protection team states, “Appreciating that the situation at Nottingham Forest was both unforeseen and unfortunate, the loss of a home comes with it the potential loss of a lifetime’s worth of belongings… A fair opportunity for recovery in the wake of such tragic circumstances is thus the prudent course pointed to by any compass.” “I’ve asked my team to communicate with the owner of Nottingham Forest in an effort to best protect residents,” said Nessel. “In the event residents feel clearing of homes demolished by the tornado was done without proper notice, we ask them to notify my Consumer Protection Team by filing a complaint online." [READ MORE]( 9 and 10 News Site Staff, 9 and 10 News (June 16, 2022) Letter Sent To Nottingham Forest Mobile Home Park Owner on Cleanup, Debris Clearing Retrieved from: [Letter Sent To Nottingham Forest Mobile Home Park Owner on Cleanup, Debris Clearing]( --------------------------------------------------------------- ‘Reprehensible’ -- Woman sentenced for defrauding VA, Michigan Treasury My office will not stand for attempts to take advantage of the agencies that offer benefits to the public, especially to our brave service members and their families. I’m proud of the work done across our partner agencies to secure this sentence against Ms. Flores. One of the accused co-conspirators in a scheme to defraud the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Michigan Department of Treasury will spend two years in prison, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Friday. Wayne County Circuit Court Visiting Judge Cynthia Stevens sentenced Melissa Flores to 24 months’ imprisonment and ordered her to pay $110,000 restitution. Department of Veterans Affairs Special Agent Gregory Billingsley investigated the case. “Fraudulently obtaining benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs is reprehensible and takes taxpayer dollars away from providing for deserving veterans,” Billingsley said. Flores, along with co-defendant Sophia Quill, are alleged to have created aliases and obtained or created fraudulent documents to make it appear that they were heirs to various individuals who died. Between 2013 and 2019, it is alleged that Quill and Flores defrauded the VA out of more than $430,000 and the Michigan Department of Treasury out of more than $40,000 in unclaimed property. Quill’s son, Steven Decker, was also charged in relation to the incident. His trial is set for December 2022. [READ MORE]( Jake Draugelis, WILX (June 17, 2022) ‘Reprehensible’ -- Woman sentenced for defrauding VA, Michigan Treasury Retrieved from: [‘Reprehensible’ -- Woman sentenced for defrauding VA, Michigan Treasury]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you for being a part of Dana's re-election campaign! Sending emails is a crucial way to keep supporters like you updated on Dana's fight for justice and progress. Plus, this campaign is fueled by grassroots supporters like you! [Will you chip in today to join Dana in the fight for a better tomorrow?]( [CHIP IN TO RE-ELECT DANA NESSEL >>]( KEEP IN TOUCH WITH DANA: Any donor history information in this email reflects what we have on file for this specific email address. If you have donated with a different email address, with a check, or with a spouse – thank you so much. We have that on file and cannot thank you enough for your support. Paid for by Friends of Dana Nessel Friends of Dana Nessel P.O. 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