Republican officials in a conservative Michigan county took $65,000 from federal Covid-19 relief funds to pay themselves bonuses will return the money after being threatened with criminal prosecution, The Guardian reports.
According to the report, the Shiawassee county commissioners acted after a prosecutor said the payments were illegal.
The Michigan state constitution bars additional compensation for elected officials “after services had already been rendered”, prosecutor Scott Koerner said.
The commissioners voted on 15 July to award themselves $65,000 as part of a plan to give $557,000 to 250 county employees as “hazard pay” for dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
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The chairman of the county board, Jeremy Root, got $25,000. Two commissioners received $10,000 each, while four received $5,000 each.
The commissioners awarded money to other elected officials, including the prosecutor, the sheriff and the county clerk – all Republicans too. They also said they would give it back.
“Since these payments were made, confusion about the nature of these funds has run rampant,” a statement said.
“[We] deeply regret that this gesture has been misinterpreted, and have unanimously decided to voluntarily return the funds to the county, pending additional guidance from the state of Michigan.”
One commissioner, Marlene Webster, insisted she had no idea she had voted to pay herself. She returned the money last week, posting a copy of the check on Facebook. She criticized the latest statement, saying there was no misinterpretation.
“That’s an insult to the citizens of Shiawassee county,” Webster said, according to The Guardian.
A judge set a hearing for Monday in a lawsuit aimed at rescinding bonuses for the officials, filed before the latest action.
