Latest news with #Nessel
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Michigan attorney general to intervene in Consumers Energy's $436 million rate hike plan
Michigan's attorney general took aim Monday at Consumers Energy's proposed rate hike, just days after various advocacy groups rallied outside a state public service commission meeting, uniting to protest DTE Energy's recent plan to increase its rates. The Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a notice of intervention on behalf of Michigan's residents in the electric rate case that the three-member public service commission will consider. Consumers Energy is seeking an annual rate hike of about $436 million, which Nessel said is on top of $24 million more in deferred distribution costs through a surcharge that it is seeking to bill customers. The increase, the Jackson-based power company said in its filing with the state, would cover investments to support "delivery of safe, reliable and resilient, clean and equitable, and competitive energy" to its customers. The utility added in a statement to the Free Press that its request proposes "major investments in line clearing and technology across all communities we serve to support our long-term goal that no customer will go more than 24 hours without power." "We understand many of our customers struggle to pay bills, and we are dedicated to the people who count on us for energy," it said. "We will continue to provide assistance and programs that help people reduce their energy use, pay bills and stay safe in their homes." Nessel has promised to "thoroughly scrutinize" the rate increase, adding that it was part of what she called "a troubling continuation of the patterns" by the state's two largest regulated electric companies. Recent rate hike requests from Consumers Energy and DTE, the attorney general said, have included what Nessel described as "inappropriate costs," which, in DTE's case, she identified as "private jet travel for executive staff" among other things. "At some point, we have to ask how long utility companies like DTE and Consumers Energy will be allowed to treat customer bills and our energy rates like a blank check," Nessel said last month, when Detroit-based DTE said it was seeking to raise rates by $574 million. That is more than double what the company was granted just months ago. What's more, the Citizens Utility Board of Michigan — a nonpartisan, nonprofit group — has found, based on its review of data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, that Michiganders already pay some of the highest energy bills in the Midwest. In addition to high bills, the group also looked at energy reliability, which it said scored low. More: Another DTE rate increase could 'bankrupt' Michigan families, state rep. says Residents, advocacy groups and a state lawmaker, rallied last Thursday outside a Michigan Public Service Commission meeting at Cadillac Place in Detroit to protest DTE' Energy's request for a rate hike. "We must continue to invest to deliver the cleaner and more reliable energy our customers demand and deserve," DTE said in an email to Free Press last week, and that it "is making progress on building the electric grid of the future." State Rep. Donavan McKinney, D-Detroit, who is also running for Congress, addressed the crowd at the rally, saying the proposed hike is devastating for his constituents, many of whom already struggle to pay their bills. The Michigan League of Conservation Voters, a nonprofit group which was at last week's rally, is urging the public service commission to knock down the rate hikes. "Our bills are too damn high," said Alex Kellogg, with the league. "At a time when costs for everything are high, Consumers Energy and DTE are trying to raise our energy bills by a combined amount of more than $1 billion dollars." Nessel, a Democrat, has been vocal in questioning rate hikes. "Before Consumers Energy," she said, "or anyone else for that matter, can even begin to measure any affordability or reliability improvements from their last rate hike, the company is back in business asking to bill their customers an additional $400 million annually." Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan attorney general to look at Consumers Energy rate increase
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Former Michigan House Speaker and wife heading to trial on embezzlement charges
Former Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield (left) and his wife Stephanie Chatfield (right) stand at the first day of their preliminary exams as the couple face multiple charges related to embezzlement on Feb. 26, 2025 | Photo: Anna Liz Nichols Former Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield and his wife were bound over for trial on embezzlement felonies and other criminal charges Friday, after an investigation by the Michigan Attorney General's Office found the pair funneled money from their political nonprofit to fund their personal purchases. Ingham County Judge Molly Hennessey Greenwalt heard arguments from the defense for Lee and Stephanie Chatfield and the Michigan Attorney General's Office in February, determining this week that there was probable cause for the charges and the case should proceed to trial. The Michigan Attorney General's Office contends that through investigatory efforts by authorities beginning in 2021, it was discovered that the Chatfields had for years used nonprofit money to reimburse themselves for purchases at souvenir shops at Universal Studios during a family trip, transactions at retail stores like Coach and expenses at a strip club, amongst other expenditures. The Chatfields' attorney Mary Chartier has asserted that the charges brought against the former House Speaker, a prominent Republican in Michigan who raised millions of dollars while he was Speaker, are rooted in the political agenda for Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat. The investigation into Lee Chatfield began back in December 2021, when his sister-in-law, Rebekah Chatfield, reported to police in Lansing that he had sexually assaulted her for years, starting when she was 14 or 15 years old. Michigan State Police opened an investigation into the report, also looking into financial behavior, which was later taken over by Nessel's office which did not find sufficient evidence to pursue charges for criminal sexual conduct. Lee Chatfield faces 13 felony counts of crimes related to conducting a criminal enterprise, conspiracy and embezzlement, while his wife faces two felony counts. Nessel released a news statement Friday expressing gratitude that the efforts of her office led to the case moving forward to trial after a long investigation period and legal process. 'Our investigation uncovered extensive evidence of elaborate schemes to embezzle and misappropriate private and public funds to bankroll Lee Chatfield's lifestyle during his time as Speaker of the House,' Nessel said in the statement. 'My office will continue to pursue public corruption with every tool at our disposal and push for stronger transparency and good governance in our state.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Yahoo
Will Michigan AG retry Christopher Schurr in death of Patrick Lyoya?
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The future of the murder case against former Grand Rapids police officer Christopher Schurr is up in the air after the Kent County prosecutor announced he would not pursue the case any further following a mistrial. When Prosecutor Chris Becker said Thursday he the criminal case against Schurr, he was asked about the possibility of Attorney General Dana Nessel taking over the prosecution herself. 'Technically, the attorney general could,' Becker said. 'She never has before. But technically I think that's always a possibility.' Becker said he hadn't heard from Nessel's office about that possibility. Now that Becker is done with the case, Lyoya family advocates are pressing Nessel to take it on. Lyoya family hurt, Schurr relieved by prosecutor's decision not to retry, advocates say The Greater Grand Rapids NAACP and the Urban League of West Michigan have both reached out to her office urging her to prosecute the case. 'We are imploring her to file charges to pick this up so the Lyoya family as well as our community can have the justice it so rightly deserves,' said Eric Brown, the president and CEO of the Urban League of West Michigan. 'We are all in support to carry this as far as it can be carried out.' After Schurr shot and killed in April 2022, Attorney General Dana Nessel that she would take up the murder case against Christopher Schurr if she was asked to. At an event in Kalamazoo back then, Nessel said she often invites local prosecutors to refer these types of cases to the AG's office. She argued that prosecuting officer-involved shootings can create friction between the prosecutor and the police department, so it's often better for the AG to handle it. 'The Department of the Attorney General is best suited to handle these cases,' she said in 2022. Of course, Becker ultimately took on the case himself. Earlier this month, his case ended in a hung jury and the judge . Explaining his decision not to retry the case, Becker argued the jury overwhelmingly leaned toward acquittal with a 10 to 2 vote in the end. He said most of the time, another trial doesn't end differently. Prosecutor will not retry Christopher Schurr in Patrick Lyoya's death 'What it boils down to is I don't think we reach a different verdict if I do a retrial … the jury came back deadlocked,' he said. It's an open question what Nessel will do. News 8 has reached out to Nessel asking if her office will get involved. Nessel's on the case came amid jury deliberations on May 6. She responded to a social media commentator who claimed Nessel wanted her 'own ,' the former Minneapolis police officer who was convicted of murdering George Floyd. 'Christopher Schurr was charged and tried by Chris Becker, the Republican Kent County Prosecutor,' Nessel wrote in a response on social media. 'My department had no involvement.' Now it's her call whether she wants to get involved. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Flint water crisis legal costs dispute continues between Michigan AG, Republican House
The office of Attorney General Dana Nessel in the G. Mennen Williams Building in Lansing, Mich., on May 15, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Friday responded to accusations that her office was stonewalling the Republican-controlled Michigan House Oversight Committee this week, saying the committee's member statements were inaccurate and misinformed. Nessel in a letter highlighted the fact that she has been in constant communication with the committee and its chair, Rep. Jay DeBoyer (R-Clay Township), and that she agreed to provide the full scope of the litigation expenses from her term and her predecessor's. Although DeBoyer and his fellow Republicans threw barbs this week after only getting half of what was requested, Nessel said she needs additional time to produce the remaining documents. Those documents that were handed over were also shared with members of the Michigan Capitol press corps, which was another area of frustration for House Republicans. 'By June 17, as committed, we will, likewise, share the second production with the chair and our Capitol press corps to ensure transparency,' Nessel said. 'It has always been my belief that these documents and the evidence belong to the people, as allowed for under Michigan law, and I have committed to nothing less since the close of my department's prosecutions.' Nessel Letter 5.23.25 The request revolves around the Flint water criminal prosecution that resulted in zero convictions after the cases were dismissed, but not before the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that the prosecution team violated the due process rights of the defendants by indicting them using a one-man grand jury. The move disallowed several members of former Republican Gov. Rick Snyder's administration – who were accused of negligence that fueled a state-created danger – from having a preliminary examination that would have given them a chance to poke holes in the state's probable cause arguments. Snyder's associates were charged with felonies, but Snyder was only charged with a misdemeanor before all charges were dismissed. The prosecution team was led by Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy and former Michigan Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud, while Nessel spearheaded the civil litigation side of the Flint crisis, which resulted in a mammoth settlement. When Republicans took back control of the Michigan House of Representatives this year, Rep. Angela Rigas (R-Caledonia), chair of the House Oversight Subcommittee on the Weaponization of Government, requested contracts, invoices, itemized lists of billable hours, memoranda of understanding with third-party entities and other financial items related to the investigation and prosecution that occurred under Nessel's regime. Her predecessor, former Attorney General Bill Schuette, led an investigation and began a prosecution of his own by employing a special counsel, attorney Todd Flood. That investigation remained active when Nessel became attorney general in 2018, but Nessel soon after dissolved Schuette's case and began anew with her own investigation. Although Rigas had asked pretty pointedly for documents related to Nessel's time as attorney general, the department said it would endeavor to show the whole scope of the cost of the prosecution, which included Schuette's tenure. Those documents would take time to process and deliver to Rigas' subcommittee, Nessel said from the outset, and requested an extension of the initial March 25 deadline. That deadline was Tuesday. Nessel delivered a document package on a secured hard drive on Wednesday. But the documents delivered only covered Schuette's term, and Nessel stated that the remaining document haul would take about another four weeks to produce. The continued back and forth angered Rigas, who called Nessel's office onto the carpet. On Thursday evening, DeBoyer sent Nessel's office a letter demanding production of the remaining documents. 'Most, if not all, of those records appear to be Verizon cell phone bills related to Todd Flood,' DeBoyer wrote. 'Your office failed to produce any documents from your own tenure as attorney general. It is apparent that you and your office willfully refused to provide documentation relative to your own tenure in office and instead spent your time digging up irrelevant documents from a prior administration.' DeBoyer demanded that the documents be presented no later than noon on May 30, and delivered electronically – and presumably not on a password protected drive. DeBoyer Letter 5-22-25 In response, Nessel said she was transparent with Rigas and agreed to deliver documentation from 2016 [when Schuette was still in office] to the close of the Nessel era prosecution in 2023. 'As requested, this includes documents from the prior administration, which began the prosecutions,' Nessel wrote in a letter to DeBoyer issued Friday. 'I was also clear that this involved thousands of pages of documents, which would take some time to produce and require redirection of staff efforts to fulfill.' Nessel also said she provided Rigas and DeBoyer with a link to a publicly available website including all costs incurred by the state in the matter. She provided that link again in her letter to DeBoyer. 'If you were not provided this information previously, you have it now,' Nessel wrote. 'Also, despite your and Rep. Rigas' claims, yesterday's production included 28 megabytes of documents which satisfies the requested first and third categories through 2019, with the commitment to provide 2019-2023 by June 17.' Nessel did not appear to budge from her position that the documents would be delivered by June 17, seemingly bucking DeBoyer's new request for production by May 30. Nessel said that there were no settlements or cost recoveries related to the prosecutions, so there was nothing to provide the committee or Rigas' subcommittee in that regard. The attorney general added that the documents her office turned over were not mere cell phone bills. 'In total, my department delivered over 450 documents, separated into subfolders under the headings, 'invoices,' and 'contracts,' to help navigate this extensive production,' Nessel wrote. 'Billable hours for outside counsel, expense forms, associated costs and more are all itemized throughout those documents. If you had reviewed the entire production, you would see it was far more extensive than simply Verizon cell phone bills from one attorney.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Michigan Republican unloads on Nessel over failure to provide Flint water documents
State Rep. Angela Rigas (R-Caledonia) speaks on the Michigan House floor. May 1, 2025. | Kyle Davidson Rep. Angela Rigas, chair of the Michigan House Oversight Subcommittee on the Weaponization of Government, released a scathing statement Wednesday evening blasting Attorney General Dana Nessel over continued delays in producing requested documents related to the Flint water criminal prosecutions. Nessel's office delivered numerous documents to Rigas's office on Wednesday, but the representative said it was not at all what she requested. 'Dana Nessel's office sent us an incomplete, incoherent mess of documents on a password-protected flash drive like they were bringing us the Holy Grail,' Rigas said. Rigas had requested documents related to the legal battles that ensued during Nessel's term and in the aftermath of Flint's water supply being contaminated in 2014. The contamination occurred due to a switch of the water supply without proper lead contamination prevention. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Former Attorney General Bill Schuette began an investigation and prosecution, the latter of which began in 2016. Schuette charged a city of Flint employee and two employees with what was then known as the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality [now known as the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy]. Nessel became attorney general in 2018 and scuttled Schuette's investigation and prosecution to begin anew in 2021. She formed a Flint water prosecution team led by Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy and former Michigan Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud while Nessel spearheaded the civil litigation side, which resulted in a mammoth settlement. The criminal cases resulted in charges against former Governor Rick Snyder and several members of his administration, but those charges were later dismissed after the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that the prosecutorial team had used a one-man grand jury process to indict them without at first holding a preliminary examination that would have given the defendants a chance to poke holes in the attorney general's presentation of probable cause. Justices of the high court ruled the process as unconstitutional, and the charges were dismissed shortly thereafter. Rigas (R-Caledonia) as the chair of the House Oversight subcommittee, requested records from Nessel on March 12 with a deadline of March 25 to give the subcommittee various documents. The request included a comprehensive itemized list of all billable hours, legal fees and associated costs incurred during Nessel's tenure as attorney general, including personnel time, outside counsel and expert witnesses; a breakdown of all state funds allocated and expended on these cases; copies of contracts and invoices or memorandums of understanding with third parties retained by her office; and a summary of reimbursements, settlements or cost recoveries tied to the cases. Nessel requested an eight-week extension, which Rigas granted, with a deadline of Tuesday. Rigas in a news release issued Wednesday evening said the attorney general's staff brought a password protected flash drive to Rigas' office, which was also shared with some members of the Lansing Capitol press corps. Nessel's office also shared a copy of a letter sent to Rigas' office on Tuesday indicating that the document haul was just one half of those requested by Rigas and that the other portion would be delivered to the representative on or before June 17. Rigas said that the flash drive contained 'a mass array of unrelated documents that were never requested, mostly from [former Attorney General] Bill Schuette's tenure.' The documents delivered to Rigas mostly contained contracts with attorneys and appointed special counsel Todd Flood and various invoices from Flood's office. Needless to say, Rigas was unhappy with what was turned over to her office. '[Nessel] and her office have consistently failed to meet deadline after deadline, and it's unacceptable,' Rigas said. 'She has failed to follow simple directions and comply with what has so clearly been requested. There will be no more extensions. No more games. This ends now.' A request for comment was sent to the Attorney General's office, but has yet to be returned.
