that the House Oversight Committee authorize the Chair of the committee to execute a subpoena to the Office of the Michigan Attorney General. 1. The information being sought is necessary to the work of the Committee because: The matter of this criminal investigation presents issues regarding conflicts of interest between the Michigan Department of Attorney General and the suspect of the criminal investigation. The House has an interest in obtaining documents regarding this apparently closed criminal investigation, as the House examines and debates whether to enact legislation addressing how conflicts of interest such as this should be regulated by statutory law. Furthermore, the House has the ability to impeach civil officers of the State of Michigan, where corrupt conduct in office occurs. In order to faithfully exercise its responsibilities in this regard, the House is entitled to investigate the Department of Attorney General’s decision to decline issuing criminal charges in this matter, which involved a high-ranking officer of a major political party of this state. 2. Previous efforts made to obtain the information being sought, without the issuance of a subpoena, are as follows: The committee did not request that the Department of Attorney General voluntarily produce the documents currently being sought, before issuance of a subpoena. Given the contents of the documents already in the committee’s possession, regarding Attorney General Dana Nessell’s personal involvement with the criminal suspect and with this case, despite the existence of a conflict wall, it was determined that the committee should proceed directly to the request for a subpoena. 3. The party to be subpoenaed is the Michigan Department of Attorney General. 4. A general description of the documents or other things to be produced can be found on the last page of the subpoena document, which is before each member of the committee. 5. At this time, only a subpoena for the production of records is sought.
Chair DeBoyer moved that the House Oversight Committee authorize the Chair of the committee to execute a subpoena to the Office of the Michigan Attorney General. 1. The information being sought is necessary to the work of the Committee because: The matter of this criminal investigation presents issues regarding conflicts of interest between the Michigan Department of Attorney General and the suspect of the criminal investigation. The House has an interest in obtaining documents regarding this apparently closed criminal investigation, as the House examines and debates whether to enact legislation addressing how conflicts of interest such as this should be regulated by statutory law. Furthermore, the House has the ability to impeach civil officers of the State of Michigan, where corrupt conduct in office occurs. In order to faithfully exercise its responsibilities in this regard, the House is entitled to investigate the Department of Attorney General’s decision to decline issuing criminal charges in this matter, which involved a high-ranking officer of a major political party of this state. 2. Previous efforts made to obtain the information being sought, without the issuance of a subpoena, are as follows: The committee did not request that the Department of Attorney General voluntarily produce the documents currently being sought, before issuance of a subpoena. Given the contents of the documents already in the committee’s possession, regarding Attorney General Dana Nessell’s personal involvement with the criminal suspect and with this case, despite the existence of a conflict wall, it was determined that the committee should proceed directly to the request for a subpoena. 3. The party to be subpoenaed is the Michigan Department of Attorney General. 4. A general description of the documents or other things to be produced can be found on the last page of the subpoena document, which is before each member of the committee. 5. At this time, only a subpoena for the production of records is sought. The motion prevailed 17-0-0: FAVORABLE ROLL CALL Yeas: Reps. DeBoyer, Bierlein, Meerman, Paquette, Carra, Bruck, Jaime Greene, Rigas, Schriver, Woolford, Miller, Pohutsky, Conlin, MacDonell, Mentzer, Tsernoglou and Wegela. Nays: None. Pass: None. There being no further business before the committee, Chair DeBoyer adjourned the meeting at 9:29 AM. Representative Jay DeBoyer, Chair Matthew Carnagie Acting Committee Clerk mcarnagie@house.mi.gov