TIT FOR TAT

Democratic candidate for Oakland County Prosecutor, and former Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Karen McDonald, who is challenging Prosecutor Jessica Cooper for the Democratic nomination in August, has been sending out slews of emails asserting that Cooper wouldn’t let prosecutors work from home after the governor ordered the state shutdown, has put in $150,000 of her own money into her campaign, and that Cooper isn’t wisely tackling crime. Yet an investigation into many of the assertions show holes in them, including that county prosecutors had been working from home before the state shutdown was ordered – chief deputy prosecutor Paul Walton called it “bullshit.” As for the $150,000 self-funding, a look at Cooper’s campaign finance records show that is for four campaigns over 16 years – not for this campaign cycle. “If you’re not going to believe in yourself, how are you going to ask someone else to?” one campaign worker asked. Walton noted that since Cooper became prosecutor in 2008, there has been a 33 percent reduction in overall crime, and a 44 percent drop in circuit court filings, according to FBI and state court administrator statistics. Cooper and Walton have given over 500 training sessions to police groups, as well as having a standing contract with Oakland County Police Academy to provide legal training for cadets. As for Cooper’s known reticence to rescinding juvenile lifers’ sentences, Walton said it’s “just Michigan’s statute. Michigan’s legislature at any time can change the law. They’ve chosen not to.” In the mean time, McDonald is racking up endorsements from Democratic legislators – including Attorney General Dana Nessel, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow (Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills), state Sen. Rosemary Bayer (Bloomfield Township), Rep. Mari Manoogian (Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township), and Minority Leader Rep. Christine Greig (Farmington, Farmington Hills). Game on.