Yesterday, Phil Mickelson, won against father time and the strongest field of the year as he won the PGA Championship. At age 50, he is the oldest golfer to ever win one of golf’s major championships. This victory comes 30 years after his first victory on the PGA tour when he won as an amateur while a student at Arizona State University. His victory shows why golf is a sport for all ages. It is the only sport where a 50-yearold can compete with players 25 years younger. This is because golf requires skills that are more subtle than most sports. Power, speed, strength and stamina are helpful, but you can still win with touch, rhythm, hand-eye coordination and a few breaks during the round. It is for this reason that golf is so appealing to guys my age.
Former Michigan DHHS Jim Haveman, a reader of this blog, provided another update on the fate of former DHHS Nick Lyon and his prosecution for 8 manslaughter charges by Attorney General Dana Nessel. Here are excerpts from Jim’s update.
Attorney General Dana Nessel has continued the Stealth Prosecution of Director Lyon. Director Lyon was first investigated in 2016 by the AG’s office and the saga continues almost 6 years later. It is clear that this is a malicious prosecution of a state employee(s) and an abuse of due process. Director Lyon and the other defendants still do not know the specifics of the criminal charges against them. What a failure of our justice system.
On January 7,2021 I submitted a FOIA to AG Dana Nessel’s office regarding 8 questions I had regarding the Flint Water investigation. Her office asked for 4 extensions and it took until May 18,2021 to get their answers. I paid their FOIA invoice of $1,578.44. I also submitted on April 15, 2021 a FOIA per Christopher Kessel and received a no-fee response on May 17,2021
I thought I would share with you a few of the insights I got from the FOIA questions I received from AG Dana Nessel’s office.
Nessel and Kessel: Christopher Kessel was Dana Nessel’s law partner in the law firm Nessel and Kessel. She left the law firm on May 3, 2018 to run for Attorney General of Michigan. The law firm continued and on August 1,2019 she hired her former partner, Christopher Kessel to work on the “Flint Water Crisis”. Mr Kessel reports to Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud and he was given the title of Special Assistant Attorney General. As you know Fadwa Hammoud was assigned the lead in the Flint Water Investigation. On January 3, 2021 the contract with AG Dana Nessel’s former law partner, Christopher Kessel was amended to total $200,000.
Attorney’s and Investigators: Over 30 lawyers and investigators of AG Nessel’s office are working on the Flint water investigation and prosecution. If you assume they are working full time, the salaries and benefits are between $160,000 and $200,000. The annual cost for AG Dana Nessel’s criminal investigation is between $4,800,000 and $6,000,000. This does not include the 30-member team expenses. I did receive documentation for the 30 individuals for conferences, lodging, travel, lunches and dinners
Firewall: On January 1,2019 AG Dana Nessel established a Firewall between the Civil Settlement process that she was handling and the Criminal investigation and prosecution that Solicitor Hammoud was handling. AG Nessel has made many public statements that she has honored the Firewall as the AG.
Meetings between AG Nessel and Solicitor General Hammoud: In 2019 the two met 113 times. In 2020 the two met 221 times and from January 4, 2021 to January10, 2021 they met 10 times. It is interesting to note my FOIA request for meeting times was submitted on January 7,2021. On May 18,2021 I received my FOIA response and there was no indication they met after Jan 10, 2021. My only assumption is that they did not report any meetings after my FOIA request or just stopped meeting. I find it hard to believe they did not talk about the Flint water investigation, the Grand Jury, the Criminal charges against the 9 defendants and prosecution strategy during their 344 meeting over two years and 10 days.
As I have said on multiple occasions, this was rightfully settled as a civil case in which the State of Michigan paid over $600 million in damages. This case has no business as a criminal case. The way this case is being handled is a travesty. It is a disgrace to our justice system. It is politically motivated, especially as we get closer to Whitmer’s and Nessel’s re-election in 2022. If this case is successful, what will prevent a Republican Governor or AG from prosecuting Governor Whitmer her team for the handling of Covid-19 in the state’s nursing homes? Feel free to copy this and forward it to others.
The Detroit News is reporting this evening,Michigan’s new COVID-19 health rules, effective June 1, include the elimination of a restriction Gov. Gretchen Whitmer violated over the weekend. The epidemic rules released by the state Department of Health and Human Services Monday have dropped requirements that restaurant and bar tables be limited to six people, with each table being six feet apart. The governor told the media at a Monday press conference that the determination to eliminate the rule “was made well before the weekend” and prior to her Saturday visit to East Lansing’s Landshark. She repeated apologies for violating her own social distancing rules at the restaurant, but avoided saying whether the restaurant should be fined as other facilities have been for breaking COVID-19 guidelines. I have been a supporter of Governor Whitmer, but her personal actions are making it harder and harder to support her. It is almost like there are rules of us that don’t apply to her. When called out on it she apologizes for her behavior. It appears to me that she is apologizing for getting caught.
Stay safe, wash your hands regularly, social distance, wear your mask properly and schedule your vaccine.
Orchid of the Day: Phil Mickelson
Onion of the Day: Former Michigan State Basketball player for being arrested today as the prime suspect in a murder in Detroit. He was recently put on probation for a drug charge and a warrant was issued for his arrest following a violation of his probation. He was also arrested in 2017 for a gun charge. Quote of the Day: “One of the moments I’ll cherish my entire life. I don’t know how to describe the feeling of excitement and fulfillment and accomplishment to do something of this magnitude when very few people thought that I could.” Phil Mickelson
Well done!
Boz
I am trying. Thanks for reading the blog. It is nice to know someone is reading it.
Bigge
Wow
Same struggle with Whitmere