South Michigan News

State Representatives Andrew Fink and Graham Filler have publicly criticized Attorney General Dana Nessel. The criticism follows Nessel's warning of potential prosecution against a bipartisan group of legislators who did not attend a House session on Wednesday, resulting in the interruption of the House Democrat leadership's agenda.

In a joint statement, Reps. Fink and Filler expressed strong disapproval of Nessel's actions. They stated: "The Attorney General’s threat to prosecute lawmakers for exercising their constitutional rights is baseless, reckless, and a blatant abuse of power. The Michigan Constitution gives the Legislature — not the Attorney General — sole authority over attendance and penalties. Her attempt to twist the law to intimidate legislators into submission is a dangerous overreach and a clear violation of the separation of powers."

The representatives further criticized Nessel's rationale: "Dana Nessel’s claims are absurd. If her logic held, even Speaker Joe Tate’s failure to hold regular session days this summer could be considered criminal. This is nothing more than a desperate political stunt to silence opposition and distract from her party’s failures."

Reps. Fink and Filler accused Nessel of attempting to misuse her position to pressure lawmakers into supporting the Democratic leadership's policies. They affirmed their resolve by stating: "Nessel is trying to weaponize her office and bully lawmakers into rubber-stamping Democrat leadership’s agenda, but we won’t back down. We will not be bullied. House Republicans remain focused on fighting for policies that protect small businesses, tipped workers, and hardworking Michiganders."