Dana's Dispatch: Prosecuting Domestic Terrorism, Investigating Clergy Abuse, Avoiding Scammers & More!

--------------------------------------------------------------- AG Dana Nessel highlights differences between herself and her opponent Matt DePerno As the People's Lawyer, I'll always fight to protect you. I am the only candidate in this race who has experience prosecuting violent criminals & making our state a safer place. Learn more about my career fighting for the survivors of SA & DV at [(. [READ MORE]( Dana Nessel, Dana Nessel on Facebook (October 29, 2022) AG Dana Nessel highlights differences between herself and her opponent Matt DePerno Retrieved from: [AG Dana Nessel highlights differences between herself and her opponent Matt DePerno]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 3 men convicted of providing aid to terrorists in Whitmer kidnapping plot This office will not sit idly by and watch while armed terrorists plan acts of civil unrest with the intent of causing mayhem and murder. Make no mistake, the quick actions of law enforcement saved lives. We are pleased the jury clearly understood that. Three men were found guilty Wednesday by a Jackson County jury of materially aiding a terrorist and being a member of a gang as part of a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The jury spent about five hours deliberating before finding Pete Musico, 43; his son-in-law, Joseph Morrison, 27; and acquaintance Paul Bellar, 22, guilty of providing material support to a terrorist, being a member of a gang and a felony weapons charge. The verdicts came after a three-week trial where the Michigan Attorney General's Office had to prove that Bellar, Morrison and Musico provided aid to Adam Fox or Barry Croft, both of whom were convicted in an August federal trial of being ringleaders in the Whitmer kidnapping plot. It was the first state trial connected to the Whitmer kidnapping plot allegations, which represented the largest domestic terrorism case in a generation that shed light on political extremism in Michigan. “This is just further evidence of the strength of the government’s case and that state charges remain a powerful tool in the government’s arsenal,” said Jon Lewis, a research fellow at the Program on Extremism at George Washington University. The quick conviction ― after about five hours of deliberations ― is a clear sign prosecutors put on a compelling case that left the jury confident Bellar, Morrison and Musico were guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. It shows there wasn’t a lot of controversy or debate in the jury room. “As with the federal convictions, this shows the government is still able to disrupt and prosecute domestic terrorists,” Lewis added. “This has to be considered a significant win for the state.” [READ MORE]( Kara Berg, the Detroit News (October 26, 2022) 3 men convicted of providing aid to terrorists in Whitmer kidnapping plot Retrieved from: [3 men convicted of providing aid to terrorists in Whitmer kidnapping plot]( --------------------------------------------------------------- AG Nessel, MVAA Director Adams Share Information with Military Members About Contaminated Drinking Water Settlement, Warn of Potential Scams Some bad actors have taken the passage of the PACT Act & Camp Lejeune settlement as an opportunity to scam our veterans of their benefits & hard-earned savings. My department teamed up with the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency to provide tips and resources on avoiding scams. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) Director Zaneta Adams partnered for a video to share important information about resources available to military members and their families who may have been exposed to toxic chemicals during their service, and to warn them about scammers who may try to exploit them for financial gain. In the video, now available through the Department of Attorney General’s website, AG Nessel and Director Adams specify that Michigan veterans, reservists and National Guard members who served at U.S. Marine Base Camp Lejeune or Marine Corps Air Station New River in North Carolina between August 1953 and December 1987 may qualify for disability benefits, healthcare or compensation under the PACT Act signed into law by President Joe Biden. AG Nessel and Director Adams also highlight resources available to protect veterans from being scammed. Current and former members of the military are encouraged to visit the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs website to locate resources in their region and review helpful information. Anyone who thinks they have been the target of a scam because of their military status should file a complaint with the Department of Attorney General. Consumer complaints can be filed online at the Attorney General's website, or if you have questions about filing a complaint, call 877-765-8388. [READ MORE]( Michigan Department of Attorney General, Michigan Department of Attorney General Press (October 24, 2022) AG Nessel, MVAA Director Adams Share Information with Military Members About Contaminated Drinking Water Settlement, Warn of Potential Scams Retrieved from: [AG Nessel, MVAA Director Adams Share Information with Military Members About Contaminated Drinking Water Settlement, Warn of Potential Scams]( --------------------------------------------------------------- AG Nessel releases report on clergy abuse in Marquette diocese My department is committed to ensuring that every case of sexual abuse & assault is thoroughly reviewed. Whenever we're able to pursue justice, we do so relentlessly & aggressively. We hope this investigation provides closure to those who have suffered in silence for too long. A 100-plus page report was released late this week from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel concerning allegations of sexual abuse that took place in the Catholic Diocese of Marquette. The report was released in the interest of the public and to acknowledge the reports of alleged abuse from victims, Nessel’s office said. The document is a compilation of the information obtained from the Department of Attorney General tip line, victim interviews, police investigations, open-source media, paper documents seized from the diocese and electronic documents found on the diocesan computers, and reports of allegations disclosed by the diocese. “The Department of Attorney General is committed to ensuring that every case of sexual abuse and assault is thoroughly reviewed and that whenever we are able to pursue justice we do so relentlessly and aggressively,” Nessel said in a statement. “I specifically want to thank the survivors who have shared their stories, sometimes after decades of silence. Their willingness to come forward helped bring attention to an issue that has affected so many in our state and our country, including children.” The report contains detailed descriptions of allegations of sexual abuse and other sexual misconduct, including grooming and misuse of authority, against minors and adults, a Mining Journal story in the matter stated. The possible criminal prosecution of many of these allegations is barred by the statute of limitations, or because the accused priest is deceased. The Catholic Church, which cooperated in the various investigations and in the preparation of the report, has been dealing with this particular mess for years. There are so many victims and so much damage done. We hope this report provides a degree of closure for those harmed in all of this. [READ MORE]( Mining Journal Editorial Board, the Mining Journal (October 29, 2022) AG sex abuse report is thorough Retrieved from: [AG sex abuse report is thorough]( --------------------------------------------------------------- AG Dana Nessel calls on Detroit residents to combat voter suppression efforts, get out the vote Just days from the election, multiple extreme candidates for the top offices in this state are actively trying to disenfranchise Detroit voters. Your vote is your voice. Don't let them silence you. The future of democracy in MI will be decided at the ballot box. [READ MORE]( Dana Nessel, Dana Nessel on Facebook (October 28, 2022) AG Dana Nessel calls on Detroit residents to combat voter suppression efforts, get out the vote Retrieved from: [AG Dana Nessel calls on Detroit residents to combat voter suppression efforts, get out the vote]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Michigan Is Fighting One of the Most Significant Abortion Battles in the Country Two weeks until we codify Roe into the Michigan constitution! We refuse to go backwards or have our reproductive rights stripped away. Vote for pro-choice candidates up & down the ballot, and vote YES on Prop 3. Laura Kruger looked skeptical as she opened her door in Wyoming, Mich. on a cold October afternoon. When the canvasser who had knocked asked her how she identified “when it comes to the issue of abortion,” she answered, “pro-life.” But when he asked about Proposal 3, the ballot measure that would enshrine the right to abortion in the state’s constitution, her eyes narrowed and her answer was more nuanced. “Rape, incest, health, are issues that are so important for each individual,” Kruger said. “It’s not a yes or no choice always.” Kruger is the kind of voter that both anti-abortion advocates and those that support abortion rights in Michigan are hoping to win over this fall in one of the most heated votes on abortion access in the country. While five states have ballot measures related to abortion in November, Michigan’s will have the most direct impact by determining whether the state’s 1931 abortion ban can remain on the books. Michigan’s 1931 law prohibits abortions with no exceptions for rape, incest, or health of the pregnant patient (it only allows abortions that “preserve the life” of a patient). The ballot measure would explicitly establish a right to abortion—as well as contraception, miscarriage management and other decisions about pregnancy—in the state constitution. While the 1931 law is currently blocked by two state courts, the Michigan Supreme Court could lift those injunctions and put it back into effect if the ballot measure fails. If the amendment passes, Michigan could become the first state to permanently get rid of an abortion ban since the fall of Roe v. Wade. It would also bolster abortion rights advocates’ hopes of using ballot measures to fight for abortion protections in Republican-controlled states. After an unexpected victory for abortion rights in Kansas this summer, a win in Michigan would provide real momentum for activists to put more measures on the ballot in the next few years to add abortion protections into state constitutions. For now, abortion in Michigan is legal, but its future remains uncertain. Voters will have their say in less than three weeks. Proposal 3, says Dr. Sarah Wallett, the chief medical officer at Planned Parenthood of Michigan, means “making sure Michiganders have futures that they want, that they can control.” [READ MORE]( Abigail Abrams, Time Magazine (October 24, 2022) Michigan Is Fighting One of the Most Significant Abortion Battles in the Country Retrieved from: [Michigan Is Fighting One of the Most Significant Abortion Battles in the Country]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Michigan Chronicle Endorses Atty. General Dana Nessel for Reelection I'm proud to have the endorsement of the Michigan Chronicle in this election. Tell your neighbors, tell your friends & #GOTV before Nov. 8 to keep MI moving forward! Nessel, a former criminal prosecutor and civil rights attorney, is Michigan’s 54th Attorney General (AG). As the state’s top law enforcement official, Nessel was in the national spotlight during the 2020 Presidential Election. The nation saw her as a strong, no-nonsense AG who stopped individuals who attempted to change the rightful election outcome in Michigan by spreading disinformation and “unfounded allegations” of widespread voter fraud at the behest of Donald Trump. Nessel also has been a champion in fighting to protect the environment and Great Lakes by holding those who abuse and pollute accountable. With strong beliefs that equality for Michigan citizens must be enforced on all levels, Nessel launched special units to advance equal protection under the law. Such launched entities included the first-of-its-kind Hate Crimes Unit, Conviction Integrity Unit, Consumer Protection Division, Elder Abuse Task Force and the Fraud Investigation Unit. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Nessel aggressively went after scammers and price-gougers attempting to take advantage of Michiganders in a time of crisis. Earlier this year, Nessel appeared in front of the Michigan Supreme Court to argue that the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act of 1976 in Michigan does not allow discrimination based on race, religion and other protected classes, including people who identify as LGBTQ. Running against Nessel is Republican Matthew DePerno – a loyal Trump supporter. During the 2020 Presidential Election, he spearheaded failed legal efforts in Michigan to challenge and overturn the election results in favor of Trump. DePerno, with his extreme views on multiple issues including abortion in Michigan, is currently under investigation for his alleged role in a voting-system breach. “I’ve spent my career defending the rights of Michigan residents, and that’s also reflected in the work I’ve done since being elected Attorney General,” Nessel, the first openly gay person to win a state office in Michigan, said in a released statement. “I promise to always be the tenacious advocate for justice that all Michiganders deserve and stand up to anyone who threatens our hard-won progress.” [READ MORE]( Donald James, Michigan Chronicle (October 25, 2022) Michigan Chronicle Endorses Atty. General Dana Nessel and Sec. of State Jocelyn Benson for Reelection Retrieved from: [Michigan Chronicle Endorses Atty. General Dana Nessel and Sec. of State Jocelyn Benson for Reelection]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Fabius Township Supervisor charged in Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Case Too many victims of sexual assault have waited years to see charges filed in their cases. I am proud to partner with the Kalamazoo County Prosecutor on this important work, and I am committed to see justice delivered for these victims. General Dana Nessel and Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting announced that the Kalamazoo Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) has filed charges against the Fabius Township Supervisor, Kenneth Dwayne Linn, of Three Rivers, 57, for sexual assault. Linn was charged with four counts of First Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct which is punishable by up to life in prison. It is alleged that Linn assaulted the victim while she was physically helpless due to extreme intoxication and unable to give consent, resulting in physical injury. According to the Attorney General’s Office, the alleged assault occurred in August of 2010 following a golf outing held at Sauganash Golf Course in Kalamazoo County. The victim’s sexual assault kit (SAK) was not submitted to the Michigan State Police Forensics Lab until December 2014. It was ultimately returned to the Portage Police Department untested in late January of 2015. In 2016, as part of the state-wide Sexual Assault Kit (SAK) testing initiative, the Portage Police Department submitted the victim’s SAK to Sorenson Forensics Lab in Salt Lake, Utah for DNA testing. In October of 2021, Kalamazoo SAKI received approval from the MSP Forensics Lab to resubmit the victim’s SAK for further testing. The results of that analysis led to charges against Linn. “The Kalamazoo Office of the Prosecuting Attorney is fortunate to have the support of the Attorney General and the Michigan Legislature, which allows us to continue to prosecute these important cases,” said Kalamazoo County Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Getting. Since 2013 the Michigan Legislature has appropriated funds to the Attorney General’s office for the purpose of investigating and prosecuting cases that arise from previously untested sexual assault kits. For the fiscal year 2023, the legislature again appropriated money to the Attorney General’s office to provide funding to SAKI projects in Kalamazoo, Calhoun, Ingham, Jackson, Washtenaw, and Wayne counties. [READ MORE]( Kayla Jones, WILX (October 26, 2022) Fabius Township Supervisor charged in Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Case Retrieved from: [Fabius Township Supervisor charged in Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Case]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Before Matt DePerno launched a bid for attorney general, he cleared up an arrest warrant When I decided to run for office, I prepared by making room in my schedule to travel the state & talk to voters. My opponent Matt DePerno prepared for office by clearing up his arrest warrants & paying off his court fines. He is too dangerous to be MI's top cop. Republican Matt DePerno, who's asking voters to make him Michigan's top law enforcement official on Nov. 8, faced a bench warrant for his arrest about two months before he launched his campaign for attorney general, according to court records. Washtenaw County Circuit Judge Timothy Connors signed a warrant in February 2020 for DePerno's arrest after he failed to appear for a creditor's exam in an unsuccessful defamation case brought by his client, former state Rep. Todd Courser, against The Detroit News. Connors previously ordered DePerno and Courser to pay a sanction of $79,701. The bench warrant for DePerno's arrest was not resolved, according to available court records, and remained in effect for more than 14 months. Lawyers for The News attempted to collect the money from DePerno but said in court documents that DePerno transferred his interest in a 2015 Ford Flex and 2012 Ford Focus to his wife, Laura, "with actual intent to hinder, delay and/or defraud The News from collecting the amount awarded." DePerno also transferred "his interest in the marital home" to his wife's trust for $1, according to the lawyers for The News. But in the 32 months that followed, DePerno launched a campaign for attorney general, won the Republican Party's nomination and poured $130,000 of his own money into his bid, representing about 13% of his total fundraising. Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel, whom DePerno is hoping to unseat, and her supporters have made DePerno's efforts to undermine the 2020 presidential election and the uncertainties surrounding his finances key issues in the race to be the state's chief law enforcement officer. “Matt DePerno has been dodging questions about his personal finances for years, and this is one more reason why Michiganders can’t trust him to be their next AG," said Emily Trifone, deputy communications director at the Democratic Attorneys General Association. "From his dangerous stances on abortion and birth control, to his embrace of Donald Trump’s most fringe election conspiracy theories, it’s clear that Michigan needs to reelect Dana Nessel as AG." [READ MORE]( Craig Mauger, the Detroit News (October 27, 2022) Before Matt DePerno launched a bid for attorney general, he cleared up an arrest warrant Retrieved from: [Before Matt DePerno launched a bid for attorney general, he cleared up an arrest warrant]( --------------------------------------------------------------- AAPAC celebrates 25 years of political achievements, brings state leaders to the community As I said during my speech at the AAPAC dinner, I wouldn't have been elected without the support of the Arab American community. Since that time, I have done everything I can to support this community back. It's an honor to serve all of Michigan as the People's Lawyer. Photo courtesy of Abbas Shehab, the Arab American News Hundreds of community members joined state and local officials at a packed Byblos Banquet Center in Dearborn for the 25th annual banquet for Arab American Political Action Committee (AAPAC) on Thursday. AAPAC is the oldest Arab American political organization, established in 1998 and formed by a group of Arab American professionals who set out to organize and encourage the political activities of the Arab American community. Osama Siblani, publisher of The Arab American News and one of the original members of AAPAC, introduced Governor Gretchen Whitmer to the podium. “We have to remember our friends,” Siblani said. “Governor Whitmer was here in 2015 when she was not a governor and she is here today. She did not come here yesterday to tell us something that others are trying to tell us… to steal our votes in a very dirty and nasty way.” Attorney General Dana Nessel was introduced as “the people’s lawyer.” She said she wouldn’t have been elected if it weren’t for the community. “Since that time, I have been trying to do everything I can to support this community back, (for example) through the great work that Fadwa is doing as solicitor general,” Nessel said. “I am so proud of the work that Mike Ajami (expungement unit director) has done in delivering a second chance to people all across the state.” Nessel said Ajami’s expungement work leads him to interact with people in places where they have seldom met an Arab American before, but its an Arab American who is delivering to them a second lease on life. [READ MORE]( Arab American News Staff, the Arab American News (October 28, 2022) AAPAC celebrates 25 years of political achievements, brings state leaders to the community Retrieved from: [AAPAC celebrates 25 years of political achievements, brings state leaders to the community]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Box 11141 Lansing, MI 48901 United States This email was sent to: {EMAIL}. [unsubscribe](