Bettie Cook Scott absent from job since calling Asian Senate rival a 'ching-chong'

Representative Bettie Cook Scott is collecting her paycheck but hasn't been seen in the state House since August, her voting record reveals.

On Aug. 7, Rep. Bettie Cook Scott (D-Detroit) was defeated in the Senate race by Rep. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit). Shortly after the race, however, accusations were made against Cook Scott for allegedly telling voters outside of the polls, "Don't vote for the ching-chong!"
Although Cook Scott made a formal apology to Chang for the racial slurs, she never resigned from her post. A recent segment by WJBK Fox 2 Detroit shows reporter M.L. Erick following Cook Scott as she makes several errands throughout the city on a day where she should have been present in the state House in Lansing. Since that time, the disgraced politician has been excused from the last eight sessions and has missed 197 votes, resulting in the highest number of absent votes for any legislature in the state House for the 2017-2018 period, according to The Detroit News.

Recently, the House Business Office took over the office of Bettie Cook Scott at the request of Republican House Speaker Tom Leonard, the News reports. This marks the first time that the House Business Office has taken over the office of a legislator that did not resign since 2015. The House Business Office will be responsible for managing Cook Scott's staffers and for answering the needs of residents in Cook Scott's district until the term ends at the end of the year.
The incident of racial slurs wasn't the first time that Cook Scott has been embroiled in controversy. In 2016, Fox 2 Detroit also reported that Cook Scott was living outside of the district she represents. Those allegations, however, have not been investigated by the state House.

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