The Michigan Bureau of Elections is reviewing two complaints that allege the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office violated the law when it hosted a nationally televised campaign event for Donald Trump on Tuesday.
The complaints were filed Thursday, one day after Metro Times published a story raising concerns about the event. The Michigan Campaign Finance Act makes it a crime punishable by up to 93 days in jail to use any public resources to support a political candidate.
Once the bureau receives a complaint, its staff investigates to determine whether a law was broken.
The sheriff's office billed the event as a “press conference,” but Trump’s appearance was far more than that. At the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office in Howell, Trump spoke in front of two banners each that read “Make America Safe Again” and “Michigan is Trump Country,” and delivered a speech from a podium emblazoned with his campaign logo. Three sheriff SUVs served as a backdrop to the scene.
Top sheriff officials were also in attendance during their regular shifts.
On Tuesday, the event forced the closure of multiple courts, as well as the offices of the prosecutor, magistrate, parole officers, and the probation department.
A day before the event, Sheriff Michael Murphy claimed in a video that it was not a political event, despite the looming campaign signs.
“Let me make a couple of things clear: One, this is not a political event. This is a press conference,” Murphy said.
On the social media platform X, people were not convinced.
“Mike Murphy just gave a convicted felon a FREE CAMPAIGN RALLY on the taxpayers dime!” @DeniseO6229 wr0te. “Not a great look there, Mikey.”
Another X user pointed out that the event featured more of Trump delivering a speech then fielding questions from the media.
“Where were all the questions from the press Sheriff?” @jer_here_now responded. “You shut down a government building for Trump to do his meandering political stump ramble. You are supposed to be a servant not a shill for Donny boy!”
On the department’s Facebook page, where the video was also posted, residents questioned why the sheriff would host a political event.
“I am saddened to see Livingston County Sherriff’s Department participating in such a partisan political theatrical event,” Juan Swan posted. “I moved here over 20yrs ago from the South to get away from a blatantly bigoted and racist political system, including law enforcement. And it sickens me to see this still happening in 2024. I am ashamed of this town’s leadership. Hosting convicted criminals and calling it a lecture on crime is an affront to the civil service you are sworn to provide.”
The event wasn’t the first time the Trump campaign used the public resources of a police department in Michigan this month. On Aug. 7, Trump’s running mate JD Vance made a campaign stop at the Shelby Township Police Department, where he blasted Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris as a “chameleon” whose words “can’t be trusted.”
Jim Tignanelli, president of the Police Officers Association of Michigan, also spoke at the event and criticized Harris, saying he spoke for “a majority” of cops. He announced his support for the Trump campaign.
The Michigan Bureau of Elections has not received a complaint about the Shelby Township event.
Here’s how you do that: Fill out the complaint form on the Bureau of Elections website.
