Former President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the key to tackling Americans&#8217; economic hardships is focusing on lowering energy bills, doubling down on his promise to cut energy costs by 50% within his first year back in the White House.
Trump was in Flint, Michigan, for a town hall event hosted by Arkansas Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. The GOP nominee&#8217;s campaign event mainly focused on addressing the economy and auto industry.
During the town hall, one woman asked him how he would &#8220;bring down the cost of food and groceries&#8221; as many families struggle to pay their bills.
&#8220;We have to start always with energy,&#8221; Trump replied. &#8220;I don&#8217;t want to be boring about it, but there&#8217;s no bigger subject that covers everything. If you make donuts, if you make cars, whatever you make, energy is a big deal.&#8221;
&#8220;And it&#8217;s my ambition to get your energy bill within 12 months down 50%,&#8221; he added. &#8220;If I can do that, we&#8217;ve done a hell of a job &#8230; [and] interest rates are going to follow.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
PRESIDENT TRUMP: &#8220;It&#8217;s my ambition to get your energy bill within 12 months down 50% and interest rates are going to follow.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/2toW4ECs8Q">pic.twitter.com/2toW4ECs8Q</a>
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1836193030283341902?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Trump has focused on addressing Americans&#8217; energy costs for much of his 2024 campaign, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-commits-to-slashing-energy-prices-by-half" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announcing</a> a plan last month to cut energy bills by half if elected. The monthly cost of electricity for Americans&#8217; homes and businesses has been slowly rising since the turn of the century, but it spiked beginning in early 2022 — just one year into the Biden-Harris administration. Residential electricity sits at 16.41 cents per kilowatt hour as of June 2024, compared to 12.62 cents in January 2021, <a href="https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/browser/#/topic/7?geo=g&amp;agg=0,1&amp;endsec=vg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Energy Information Administration.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726313279401000&amp;usg=AOvVaw115_qPFFEePDP86-Fvo-Vd">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
Natural gas also <a href="https://www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/hist/rngwhhdM.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shot up</a> to its highest price of the past decade in August of 2022 but has since fallen to near-Trump-era lows. Gasoline prices, however, have <a href="https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?f=m&amp;n=pet&amp;s=emm_epm0_pte_nus_dpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remained</a> higher under the Biden-Harris administration than they were under Trump, sitting at a national average of $3.50 as of August. The highest national average for gas under Trump was $2.99 in May 2018.
Trump <a href="https://x.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1836191532094828756" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a> during his event in Flint that his administration would &#8220;drill, baby, drill&#8221; starting on his first day back in the White House if elected.

Donald Trump

Trump Says Addressing Economic Woes Begins With One Issue

2024 Election

Elections

Flint

Kamala Harris

Michigan

Politics

In his first campaign event since the apparent assassination attempt on Sunday, former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> touted his economic policies and suggested that his &#8220;consequential&#8221; agenda could be the reason he&#8217;s been &#8220;shot at.&#8221;
Trump sat down for a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/election-wire-donald-trump-live-in-michigan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">town hall</a> event with Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in front of a large crowd in Flint, Michigan, and the former president said he has been saddened to see the decline of the automotive industry in the Detroit and Flint area — what was known as the car manufacturing capital of the world.
The Republican nominee said the U.S. needs to manufacture more vehicles in the country instead of in Mexico and China. He then promised the crowd of Michiganders that his administration would put a 200% tariff on vehicles manufactured outside of the U.S.
&#8220;They think they&#8217;re going to make their cars there and they&#8217;re going to sell them across our line and we&#8217;re going to take them and we&#8217;re not going to charge them tax. We&#8217;re going to charge them. I&#8217;m telling you right now, we&#8217;re putting a 200% tariff on them, which means they&#8217;re unsellable,&#8221; Trump said.
&#8220;And then you wonder why I get shot at,&#8221; he added. &#8220;You know, only consequential presidents get shot at. &#8230; But you have to do what you have to do. You have to be brave. Otherwise, you&#8217;re not going to have a country left.&#8221;
The former president was targeted in another apparent assassination attempt on Sunday when a 58-year-old man hid out for 12 hours near Trump&#8217;s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, allegedly to take a shot at him. Sunday&#8217;s assassination attempt came just two months after Trump was shot in the ear during his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Trump focused on the economy and trade throughout much of his town hall event in Flint. Michigan remains a vital toss-up state in the race between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris with the <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/president/general/2024/michigan/trump-vs-harris" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RealClearPolitics</a> average of polling showing Harris leading by less than 1 percentage point. The former president&#8217;s main message to Michigan voters during the town hall was clear: a vote for him meant a vote to bring industry and jobs back to the Great Lakes State.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726313279401000&amp;usg=AOvVaw115_qPFFEePDP86-Fvo-Vd">Am I Racist? Is In Theaters NOW — Get Your Tickets Here!</a>
&#8220;We are going to bring so many auto plants into our country. You are going to be as big or bigger than you were 50 years ago,&#8221; Trump said to the applause of the crowd.
&#8220;I think it&#8217;s safe to say that Michigan is happy that you&#8217;re going to be president again,&#8221; Sanders told him.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
PRESIDENT TRUMP IN MICHIGAN: &#8220;We are going to bring so many auto plants into our country. You are going to be as big or BIGGER than you were 50 years ago.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/fBcq6NHK1e">pic.twitter.com/fBcq6NHK1e</a>
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1836186254666309658?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Trump: ‘Only Consequential Presidents Get Shot At’

Trump: 'Only Consequential Presidents Get Shot At'

assassination attempt

Former President Donald Trump will hold a town hall event in the heavily Democratic city of Flint, Michigan, on Tuesday, September 17, as he seeks to flip the Great Lakes State back to red in November.
The town hall is set to begin at 7:00 p.m. ET and moderated by Arkansas Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, according to the Trump campaign.
&#8220;After Michigan voters have been forced to suffer three and a half years of Kamala Harris and Joe Biden&#8217;s dangerously liberal policies, President Trump will meet with Michiganders to listen to their concerns and share his vision to make America affordable again,&#8221; Team Trump said in a statement.
&#8220;The auto industry is the backbone of Michigan&#8217;s economy, and Kamala Harris&#8217; actions have only shown that she will destroy it,&#8221; the statement added. &#8220;If Kamala Harris has her way with a gas-powered car ban, Michigan will lose, at a minimum, 40,000 jobs. It&#8217;s painfully clear that Michiganders cannot afford four more years of Kamala Harris, and voters in the Great Lakes State are eager to hear how President Trump will lower inflation and protect the auto industry.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING: President Trump to hold Flint, Michigan town hall next Tuesday at 7PM ET. <a href="https://t.co/qIMJIdLm27">pic.twitter.com/qIMJIdLm27</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1834270975933734973?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Biden-Harris administration <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/20/climate/biden-phase-out-gas-cars.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> a rule earlier this year requiring auto manufacturers to produce more electric vehicles and tightened regulations on tail-pipe emissions, which target gas-powered vehicles. The Kamala Harris campaign attempted to distance the vice president from the administration&#8217;s policies, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/harris-camp-declines-clarify-whether-kamalas-values-have-shifted-ev-mandates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> last month that she &#8220;does not support an electric vehicle mandate.&#8221; During her first major interview as the Democratic nominee, however, Harris doubled down on her commitment to addressing the &#8220;climate crisis.&#8221;
&#8220;The most important and most significant aspect of my policy perspective and decisions is my values have not changed,&#8221; she told CNN&#8217;s Dana Bash. &#8220;You mentioned the Green New Deal. I have always believed, and I have worked on it, that the climate crisis is real, that it is an urgent matter to which we should apply metrics that include holding ourselves to deadlines around time.&#8221;
<div><a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726247534255000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0VfTx3gHYwekb_uCdhZmtB">Am I Racist? ONLY In Theaters Tomorrow—Get Your Tickets Now!</a></div>
Flint, known as &#8220;Vehicle City&#8221; for its boom during the height of the auto industry in Michigan, is now a heavily Democratic area whose population has declined for decades. When Flint was at the center of a water crisis nearly a decade ago, Trump <a href="https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2016/09/a_look_back_at_donald_trumps_v.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">traveled</a> to the city to tour the water plant. Trump&#8217;s motorcade in 2016 was met by angry Flint residents who told him to &#8220;go home.&#8221;
Trump lost Genesee County, where Flint is the largest city, to both Hillary Clinton in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/elections/2016/results/michigan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2016</a> and Joe Biden in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/results-michigan.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2020</a> by nearly 10 points. Michigan is a vital battleground state for Trump and Vice President Harris in the 2024 election. Polls currently show Harris barely leading Trump by less than one point in the state, according to the <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/president/general/2024/michigan/trump-vs-harris" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RealClearPolitics</a> average.

Trump To Hold Town Hall In Deep Blue Flint, MI

Auto Companies

Sarah Huckabee Sanders

A Flint, Michigan, man who had spent years in prison for engaging in sex without telling his partners he was infected with HIV will be released on bond less than a year after he was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/felon-who-worked-on-flint-mayors-campaign-arrested-for-allegedly-grooming-raping-child-has-hiv" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged with crimes</a> related to his alleged sexual assault of a teenage boy.
John Cole, 55 — who had volunteered on the campaign of Flint Democratic Mayor Sheldon Neeley — was <a href="https://www.abc12.com/flint-man-accused-of-raping-young-child-spreading-hiv/article_23eb74ea-f0cf-11ed-b439-1b899fd22887.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged</a> last May with 12 counts, including one count of child sexually abusive activity and three counts of accosting a child for immoral purposes. On Monday, Genesee County Circuit Court Judge Celeste D. Bell granted Cole a personal recognizance bond that was requested by his defense attorney, MLive <a href="https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2024/02/flint-man-with-hiv-accused-of-assaulting-teen-will-be-released-on-bond.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The judge’s granting of a personal recognizance bond means the Flint man will be released from jail as he awaits trial without paying bail even though he was being held at the Genesee County Jail on a $75,000 cash/surety bond. The judge stipulated that Cole must remain under house arrest and on a tether. Last October, he was <a href="https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2023/10/flint-man-who-assaulted-underage-boy-while-positive-for-hiv-to-stand-trial.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ordered</a> to stand trial and bound to circuit court.
Cole was arrested and charged after a 15-year-old boy’s mother told the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office that she believed her son had been sexually assaulted, according to testimony at Cole’s preliminary examination. Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson accused Cole of using cunning tactics to befriend a minor at a community event in December 2022 before he later allegedly sexually assaulted the individual.
Then, in February of last year, Cole allegedly picked up the 15-year-old boy to go watch a basketball game, but on their way to the game, Cole “diverted” to a business in Flint and “aggressively started to sexually assault the young victim,” the sheriff said. Cole allegedly assaulted the boy again at a bowling alley a month later.
The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office said that, during its investigation into Cole, it found evidence showing there could be more victims whom Cole allegedly preyed on, but no new charges have been filed in the case, MLive reported. Cole, who was known to use aliases, was previously convicted of not telling partners that he had HIV before engaging in sex with them and served seven years in prison, according to Swanson.
Cole strongly supported Mayor Neeley — now running for a seat in the U.S. House — and had volunteered for his campaign in the past. Photos posted online <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/felon-who-worked-on-flint-mayors-campaign-arrested-for-allegedly-grooming-raping-child-has-hiv" target="_blank" rel="noopener">showed</a> Cole at Neeley’s election night party posing for a picture with the mayor.
At the time of Cole’s arrest last year, Neeley’s office told The Daily Wire that Cole “was known as a member of the community who, like many others, occasionally showed up to volunteer for the mayoral campaign,” adding that he was “never employed by the city of Flint or the Neeley campaign.”
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1700760801843000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
“Political antagonists may try to embellish this association and make it more than it is,” Neeley’s office added.
“Cole seems to have presented himself as a close associate of the mayor in order to ingratiate himself to other community members, but in reality, he was an incidental acquaintance,” the statement continued. “We are focused on supporting the victims and raising awareness about how to protect the most vulnerable members of our community from these types of abuses.”

John Cole Mug Shot

Felon With HIV Who Volunteered For Dem Flint Mayor To Be Released On Bond As He Faces Allegations Of Sexually Assaulting A Child

Court

Police

Sexual Assault

U.S.

A teacher in Flint, Michigan, was hospitalized Thursday after a student hurled a chair at her in a classroom attack caught on video. 
The attack took place at Flint Southwestern Academy, and video of the incident showed a female student on one side of the classroom arguing and yelling expletives at a student on the opposite side of the room. As the teacher stood between the students, appearing to try to calm the situation, one of the teenagers picked up a chair and threw it, nailing the teacher in the head and knocking her to the ground. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
A teacher in Flint, Michigan is knocked to the floor when a student hurls at a chair at her head. <a href="https://t.co/KBOLM7KOwH">pic.twitter.com/KBOLM7KOwH</a>
&mdash; Libby Emmons (@libbyemmons) <a href="https://twitter.com/libbyemmons/status/1707788076817215776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Flint Community School Superintendent Kevelin Jones addressed the “deeply concerning incident” in a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=813401800788038&amp;set=a.522406376554250">statement</a> Friday, saying the teacher who was attacked had been released from the hospital, is “doing well,” and will return to the classroom. Jones added that the student who was involved “will be held accountable according to the law.” 
“We are committed to ensuring that such incidents are thoroughly investigated, and appropriate measures are taken to prevent their recurrence,” Jones added. 
The Flint Police Department issued a <a href="https://midmichigannow.com/news/local/district-says-teacher-released-from-hospital-after-attack-by-flint-student">statement</a> saying it “made an arrest related to an assault at Flint Southwestern Academy” and “An investigation is ongoing.” 
Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, who is <a href="https://apnews.com/article/james-craig-michigan-senate-run-trump-f90308a4fb4c8cca6aa74b3208654a7b">expected</a> to jump into the Michigan Senate race as a Republican, commented on the video, saying it “captures the sad state of Education in Michigan.”
“[N]o sense of order or direction, no respect for teachers, and worst of all, NO LEARNING. Failure to educate young Michiganders is a recipe for increased CRIME, upticks in UNEMPLOYMENT, and SOCIETAL DISORDER,” Craig said. “Michiganders deserve better.”
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1696011031102000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1725QljG4qoXJl_mG2Blr2">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
Flint schools have the lowest graduation <a href="https://detroit.chalkbeat.org/2023/2/24/23613804/michigan-graduation-dropout-rate-high-school-increase">rate</a> (43.8%) and the highest dropout rate (33.3%) in the state. The city of 80,000 that is plagued by gang violence and drug use is also one of the most violent in the country, <a href="https://247wallst.com/city/flint-mi-reported-one-of-the-highest-murder-rates-in-the-us/">posting</a> the 10th highest murder rate in the U.S., according to data from 2020.

Flint Southwestern Academy

Michigan Teacher Hospitalized After Student Throws Chair At Her In Attack Caught On Video

Crime

Teacher

Violence

An HIV-positive Flint, Michigan, man who has volunteered for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/flint-residents-outraged-after-mayor-skips-emergency-water-alert-but-alerts-his-easter-egg-hunt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Democrat Mayor Sheldon Neeley</a> was arraigned on Thursday and charged with grooming and raping a child with the intent to spread his potentially deadly infection.
In a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&amp;v=627576839274249" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> posted to social media, Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson announced that the Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team (GHOST) arrested 55-year-old John Cole on charges of a dozen sexual crimes.
Cole “was known as a member of the community who, like many others, occasionally showed up to volunteer for the mayoral campaign,” the mayor&#8217;s office said in a statement shared with The Daily Wire, adding that he was &#8220;never employed by the city of Flint or the Neeley campaign.&#8221;
Cole, who until recently went by John Peters, was previously convicted of not telling partners that he has HIV before engaging in sex with them and served seven years in prison, according to Swanson. The convicted felon has now been charged with 12 counts, including one count of child sexually abusive activity and three counts of accosting a child for immoral purposes, ABC 12 <a href="https://www.abc12.com/flint-man-accused-of-raping-young-child-spreading-hiv/article_23eb74ea-f0cf-11ed-b439-1b899fd22887.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Swanson called Cole a “groomer” and a “predator,” accusing the Flint man of using cunning tactics to befriend a minor at a community event in December 2022 before he later allegedly sexually assaulted the victim. Cole allegedly connected with the minor because they shared a birthday.
“Predators are always looking for some type of connection,” Swanson said. “That’s their grooming tactic. So they use that in order to get into where they can perform their sexual acts and take away the innocence of these individuals, and in this case, infect them with a fatal disease in many cases.”
In February, Cole allegedly picked up the victim to go watch a high school basketball game. However, on their way to the game, Cole “diverted” to a business in Flint and “aggressively started to sexually assault the young victim,” the sheriff said. Then in March, Cole allegedly assaulted the minor victim again at a bowling alley.
Swanson said his department was made aware of Cole’s alleged sexual assaults last month when the family of the victim came forward with the allegations.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1683992827801000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1sAvvRJ90ru6ybj_DWo2Gy">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
“As soon as we heard the name Johnny Peters trying to be camouflaged with another innocent name of John Cole, we knew exactly the intent,” Swanson said.
The sheriff then showed screenshots of text messages allegedly sent by Cole to the victim. One message allegedly shows Cole telling the victim, “Listen, don’t even worry about that. I’ll give you money. You buy your own games. You should’ve called me I’m trying to take care of you. I’m not playing any games. I give you the money. You [buy] your own Playstation, whatever you want but you gotta do your part.”
In another message, Cole allegedly sent pictures of hundreds of dollars in cash to the victim with the message “Call me.” Swanson called Cole “one of the most vile” groomers he’s arrested in his nearly 40 years of being in law enforcement.
&#8220;This is going on 35 years and he&#8217;s still doing what he does,&#8221; Swanson said.
Cole strongly supported Flint Democrat Mayor Sheldon Neeley and had volunteered for his campaign in the past. Photos posted <a href="https://www.mlive.com/galleries/WSX6S5DGSNFXBNVDTWJGJCRBRQ/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">online</a> showed Cole at Neeley’s election night party and posing for a picture with the mayor.
<div id="attachment_550497" style="width: 464px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-550497" class=" wp-image-550497" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/Screen-Shot-2023-05-12-at-1.17.19-PM-300x289.png" alt="Sheldon Neeley/John Cole" width="454" height="437" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/Screen-Shot-2023-05-12-at-1.17.19-PM-300x289.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/Screen-Shot-2023-05-12-at-1.17.19-PM-598x576.png 598w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/05/Screen-Shot-2023-05-12-at-1.17.19-PM.png 714w" sizes=" (max-width: 454px) 100vw, 454px" />Screen Shot: Facebook/Barbara Moore</div>
“Political antagonists may try to embellish this association and make it more than it is,” Neeley’s office said.
“Cole seems to have presented himself as a close associate of the mayor in order to ingratiate himself to other community members, but in reality, he was an incidental acquaintance,” the statement added. “We are focused on supporting the victims and raising awareness about how to protect the most vulnerable members of our community from these types of abuses.”
The Democrat mayor has not answered a Daily Wire inquiry into whether Neeley’s office knew about Cole’s previous conviction and imprisonment for sex crimes before it allowed him to volunteer for the mayor’s campaign.
Sheriff Swanson ended his video by asking for anyone who either had consensual sex with Cole or was victimized by his alleged grooming to come forward.
“We want to help you. We want to protect you,” Swanson said. “We want to help get your message out, get your voice protected, but also hold him accountable.”

Felon Who Worked On Flint Mayor’s Campaign Arrested For Allegedly Grooming, Raping Child; Has HIV

Felon Who Worked On Flint Mayor's Campaign Arrested For Allegedly Grooming, Raping Child; Has HIV

Child Sex Abuse

Students in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/flint" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Flint, Michigan</a>, school district will not be allowed to carry backpacks to school for the rest of the year.
The Flint Board of Education voted unanimously last week to ban students from carrying backpacks. The decision came after two separate safety incidents occurred at Southwestern Classical Academy in Flint, both of which prompted officials to close schools in the area. The policy went into effect on Monday.
&#8220;School safety remains an important topic for districts across the country, including here in Flint,&#8221; Superintendent Kevelin Jones wrote in a <a href="https://www.flintschools.org/apps/news/article/1757528" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to parents Thursday. &#8220;As a district, we are taking a 360-degree approach to create safe spaces for children’s academic journeys. To that end, we have reached a point where we must make difficult decisions and ask our school community to demonstrate flexibility, understanding and a shared sense of urgency when it comes to safety.&#8221;
As of Monday, students are <a href="https://www.flintschools.org/apps/news/article/1757540" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not allowed</a> to carry backpacks into school buildings. Small purses carrying personal items, clear plastic bags with gym clothes, and lunchboxes are allowed within reason, the letter noted, but those bags will still be subject to search. If a student brings a backpack to school, the office will not keep the student&#8217;s belongings. Instead, he or she will be sent to the school office and a parent or guardian will pick up the student&#8217;s belongings. Athletes will also have to drop off their equipment at the front office every day.
&#8220;Across the country, we have seen an increase in threatening behavior and contraband, including weapons, being brought into schools at all levels,&#8221; Jones wrote. &#8220;Backpacks make it easier for students to hide weapons, which can be disassembled and harder to identify or hidden in pockets, inside books or under other items. Clear backpacks do not completely fix this issue. By banning backpacks altogether and adding an increased security presence across the district, we can better control what is being brought into our buildings.&#8221;
According to <a href="https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2023/04/backpacks-banned-at-flint-schools-for-rest-of-academic-year-due-to-safety-concerns.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MLive</a>, the board had suggested the same proposal earlier this year, but it was voted down. At that time, Jones suggested allowing only clear backpacks, but that was also rejected. It is not the first time that Flint district has banned backpacks; they previously did it in 2007.
&#8220;This is a difficult decision, but it is one that will immediately benefit our district and the safety of those we serve,&#8221; Jones wrote. &#8220;This has been approved by the Flint Board of Education, the district’s administration and principals, with support from the Flint Police Department and other safety advocates. We have thought long and hard about this decision, knowing that it will impact how scholars and families prepare for their days and operations in the classroom. However, based on the issues we continue to see across the country regarding school safety, we believe that this is the best solution for those we serve.&#8221;
<a class="c-link" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-7429">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
The decision was motivated in part by two separate incidents that prompted schools to close; both incidents happened at Southwestern Classical Academy. First, in <a href="https://www.fox23.com/news/trending/student-17-arrested-after-threat-to-shoot-flint-school-like-oxford/article_a5a45ab2-4a4d-5d8d-a7b1-3ff753e900c8.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">December 2021</a>, a student at the school was riding a school bus when she recorded a &#8220;rap-style&#8221; video threatening to commit a school shooting &#8220;like Oxford,&#8221; a reference to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-several-injured-in-school-shooting-near-detroit-suspect-in-custody" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2021 school shooting</a> in nearby Oakland County. The school closed in response.
Then in <a href="https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2023/04/flint-southwestern-closes-april-20-after-lockdown-due-to-threat.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">April</a>, the school closed due to another threat.

Girlfriends walking hand in hand on school isle

Flint, Michigan School District Bans Backpacks After Multiple Violent Threats

Flint, Michigan School District Bans Students From Carrying Backpacks After Multiple Violent Threats

Education

Gun Violence

Safety

School closures

Schools

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/flint" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Flint</a>, Michigan, Democratic Mayor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whitmer-endorsed-michigan-mayors-bios-falsely-claimed-he-has-bachelors-degree-he-blames-a-staffer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sheldon Neeley</a> really wanted his city’s residents to join him for an Easter egg hunt last weekend — to the point that he advertised the event with Flint’s newly implemented alert notification system that is mainly used for emergencies. 
Residents of the city, which is still dealing with the fallout from last decade’s infamous water crisis, were enraged to receive a text message from the city’s alert number inviting them to frolic with the mayor on the lawn behind City Hall. Screenshots of the text message sent to Flint residents were posted to Facebook and shared with The Daily Wire.
“Please join Mayor Sheldon Neeley for an Easter Egg Hunt today, Thursday, April 6, from 4 to 6 p.m. on the lawn behind Flint City Hall,” the message <a href="https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid034YmrkqB7a7X59haLxMJbCy8nS65mTdEXD94v9k9CCgxJsTJqsA2w2hbMJ7cp9i2yl&amp;id=100000534150090&amp;m_entstream_source=permalink&amp;paipv=0&amp;eav=AfZjpKPUFKBMfPRF5iluU0w7ImlGViZNmtNYtCGVGon594R9JPVrTTxwoPm0RelF4Sc&amp;_rdr">read</a>. “This event is free for kids ages 0-11 years old. We hope to see you there.” 
<iframe loading="lazy" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto.php%3Ffbid%3D138177635881534%26set%3Da.108546468844651%26type%3D3&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="690" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The message above Neeley’s Easter egg hunt plug warned residents about an incoming snowstorm last month, but no alert was issued when a <a href="https://midmichigannow.com/news/local/basements-in-flint-filled-with-sewer-water-people-who-live-in-these-homes-want-answers">pump station failure</a> flooded some residents’ basements with sewer water last week. 
Neeley <a href="https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2023/03/flint-launches-emergency-notification-system-for-special-alerts-from-city.html">announced</a> the launch of the alert system, named CodeRED, just last month. 
“The Alert Flint notification system will allow us to quickly deliver vital information to the Flint community during emergencies,” Neeley said in a statement. “This gives our residents the opportunity to be better prepared in the event of an emergency and will help protect the lives, safety, and welfare of our citizens.”
CodeRED is <a href="https://www.cityofflint.com/alertflint/">intended</a> to alert residents to emergencies and important information such as street maintenance, boil water advisories, missing children, active shooter threats, natural disasters, and evacuation or shelter-in-place notices, the city said. The free service allows people to sign up for alerts via phone, text, or email. The Alert Flint page on the city’s website was <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230304222454/https://www.cityofflint.com/alertflint/">revised</a> in the days following the mayor’s announcement to include “community updates” along with emergency situations. 
Flint City Councilwoman Tonya Burns slammed the mayor’s Easter egg hunt alert in a <a href="https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid034YmrkqB7a7X59haLxMJbCy8nS65mTdEXD94v9k9CCgxJsTJqsA2w2hbMJ7cp9i2yl&amp;id=100000534150090&amp;m_entstream_source=permalink&amp;__tn__=-R">post</a> on Facebook last week, complaining that CodeRED was used to alert citizens to this event but not to the water pump failure. 
&#8220;At no point should the City of Flint&#8217;s Emergency Alert System be used for an Easter Egg Hunt notification when not one resident was notified about Pump Station #5 that suffered catastrophic mechanical failure whereas Flint residents had 1-3 feet of standing water that ruined their furnaces, hot water heaters, washer/dryer’s, drywall, flooring, furniture and etc. and we’re left scrambling for help,” Burns said. “Emergency alert systems are in place for emergencies only.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Ftonya.burns.31%2Fposts%2Fpfbid034YmrkqB7a7X59haLxMJbCy8nS65mTdEXD94v9k9CCgxJsTJqsA2w2hbMJ7cp9i2yl&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="706" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Angry Flint residents commented under Burns’ post. 
“I was so disappointed. I have blocked the number. I have no need for political announcements,” Flint homeowner and attorney Linda Pohly commented, adding. “Just when I think he [Neeley] has gone as low as he will, he stoops a little lower.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m so sick of this city,” resident Matthew Herrick said. “People are moving away from Flint because of reasons like this! He is the worst mayor Flint has ever had and he is only bringing the city down. I won&#8217;t be a Flint resident after this year.&#8221;
Sheila Summers simply wrote, “He got blocked. Inappropriate use.” 
Neeley’s office told The Daily Wire that referring to CodeRED as an emergency alert system is a “misrepresentation of the facts” and said that the mayor “made it clear that the system would be used to share both ‘positive and negative’ information.”
“Yes, Alert Flint is an important tool for emergency situations. It is also an important tool for communicating general city services messages, to be used alongside traditional media tactics like press releases, press conferences, social media, and the city website,” Neeley’s office said. The mayor’s office did not respond when pressed by The Daily Wire on why no alert was issued for the water pump failure. 
Neeley, who is strongly supported by Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, was criticized last year for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whitmer-endorsed-michigan-mayors-bios-falsely-claimed-he-has-bachelors-degree-he-blames-a-staffer">falsely claiming</a> for years that he had a bachelor&#8217;s degree. When asked about the phony claim, Neeley’s office deflected the blame to a staffer and said the mayor “has been clear from the beginning” about only receiving an associates degree from Delta College and studying for a time at Saginaw Valley State University.
Neeley was elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2022.

Easter Egg Hunt

Flint Residents Outraged After Mayor Skips Emergency Water Alert — But Alerts His Easter Egg Hunt

Democrat

Easter Eggs

General

The Democratic National Committee and a Michigan congressman in a neck-and-neck election race turned to a virulently anti-gay pastor to help get out the vote in the week before the election, The Daily Wire has learned.
Democrats are desperate to hold onto a Flint, Michigan-based seat represented by Rep. Dan Kildee (D) after the district was <a href="https://about.bgov.com/news/once-safe-michigan-democrat-faces-peril-in-redrawn-district/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">redrawn</a> following the decennial Census to be about 50% Republican, making it a <a href="https://centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/2022-house/">toss-up</a> race between Kildee and Republican Paul Junge. To rally urban Democrat turnout, the DNC Black Caucus and the Michigan Democratic Women&#8217;s Caucus on Wednesday held a &#8220;Flint GOTV Rally&#8221; at the Cathedral of Faith Church headlined by its Bishop Christopher E. Martin and Kildee, according to a flier and video of the event.
Martin caused a furor in the Flint area in June after <a href="https://www.facebook.com/100002918256789/videos/pcb.5162547517185806/755382198931939">video</a> showed Martin speaking with disgust about other preachers who he claimed are gay and were trying to spread the &#8220;spirit of perversion.&#8221; Martin told his parishioners:
<blockquote>&#8220;Look, y&#8217;all quit sitting here in church without the baptism and the Holy Ghost. Because if you got the Holy Ghost, you can tell that some of these preachers y&#8217;all listening to are gay. They just fired one from a church around here the other day. I said they should have never hired him, he gay, they should have voted him out. He been gay. He was gay when they hired him, he was gay when y&#8217;all fired him. Went in there ripping TVs all off the wall, having a little girl tantrum.
These folks gay. This ain&#8217;t no time to be playing like this over the Lord&#8217;s people. Sitting up under these folks. Look, a man, a man pastoring you ought to be married to a woman. There ought to be a first lady somewhere. If not, he might have a first gentleman. We can not have perversion [homosexuality] over the people. Pastor, you mean. I&#8217;m not mean. I&#8217;m telling you, I&#8217;m trying to show you light. Even if the people in the pews are suffering or struggling with their spirit, pray them through. You ain&#8217;t got no business up here dealing with it.
How you gonna preach to them and you got it [homosexuality]? We trying to get people out of what they&#8217;re in. We are trying to love them out of what they&#8217;re in. If you in it, you can&#8217;t love nobody out of it. You&#8217;re going to stay in it. And you&#8217;re going to let that spirit of perversion be all through the church.&#8221;</blockquote>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-460455" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/flint-dnc-452x576.jpg" alt="" width="452" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/11/flint-dnc-452x576.jpg 452w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/11/flint-dnc-235x300.jpg 235w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/11/flint-dnc-768x979.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2022/11/flint-dnc.jpg 1156w" sizes=" (max-width: 452px) 100vw, 452px" /></div>
Martin&#8217;s comments were well-known in Flint, including being <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tonya.burns.31/posts/5756815161012899" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a> by Flint city council member Tonya Burns. When the bishop&#8217;s church got a contract with the city government related to health services, social justice advocate Nayyirah Shariff told officials that gay and transgender individuals were not likely to feel safe at any place connected to him. &#8220;Having a service in a location that is homophobic? That is not a safe space,” Shariff said, <a href="https://flintbeat.com/flint-bishop-says-his-beliefs-regarding-lgbtqia-community-wont-impact-mental-health-services-provided-at-local-churches/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Flint Beat</a> reported in June.
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/1583426399/videos/491302006365404/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Video</a> shows that at the rally, speakers stood behind a podium that said &#8220;The seal of the Bishop,&#8221; the same one from which Martin made his videotaped anti-gay screed months ago.
Martin received the Lifetime Achievement Community Service award from Barack Obama in 2017, according to <a href="https://nbc25news.com/news/local/flint-pastor-celebrates-elevation-to-bishop-with-church-and-community-members">NBC 25 News,</a> and in April, Kildee joined him to celebrate his promotion to bishop. Martin is a former president of the Flint school board and his church receives government money to run a <a href="https://childcarecenter.us/provider_detail/cathedral_of_faith_ministries_head_start_flint_mi">pre-school</a> program and provide <a href="https://www.michiganradio.org/community/2022-06-13/flint-churches-will-provide-mental-health-services-in-summer-pilot-program">mental health services</a>.
Virgie Rollins, the DNC National Black Caucus chair, spoke, then handed it off to Rev. Dr. Charles Williams, who Rollins praised for being part of Al Sharpton&#8217;s National Action Network. Williams, in turn, praised Martin, saying, &#8220;give it up for Virgie, the DNC National Black Caucus chair. We are so grateful, and to the bishop and pastor of this church. Bishop, his reputation precedes him. Christopher Martin, thank you so much. &#8230; He&#8217;s been doing such a wonderful job&#8230; More importantly, I&#8217;ve got the opportunity to see him here&#8230; our Michigan congressperson, that is, brother Kildee.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;ve got about six days to make sure we do the right thing,&#8221; Martin continued. &#8220;As President Biden so eloquently said in 2020, this election is about the soul of the nation&#8230; For the last 40 years Flint has had a fighter by the name of the Kildee family. Dale Kildee served this area with honor and distinction. But what he did understand is that he was going to have an heir to the seat that we delivered him to. He had a nephew that was like a ram in the bush. And this nephew has been a fighter in the fifth for the city of Flint&#8230; and it doesn&#8217;t matter that it has been redistricted&#8230; the federal money came because of Dan Kildee&#8230; Make some noise for our champion, our hero, Mr. Dan Kildee.&#8221;
Kildee then took the stage, saying, &#8220;You know, that&#8217;s a tough act to follow, Bishop.&#8221; Of his district, he said, &#8220;I&#8217;ve been with you because I am you.&#8221;
The Kildee campaign did not return a request for comment about Wednesday&#8217;s event.
The flier said that Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Michigan) was also slated to be a speaker, but she did not ultimately attend.
Rollins told The Daily Wire that &#8220;I was not familiar with any remarks the Pastor made. The church was hosting the Rally with many other elected officials. If there are concerns with the Pastor words to his congregation can you please take it up with him. Many of my friends are LGBTQ.&#8221;
Correction: An earlier version of this article said that Rep. Haley Stevens also headlined the event. While she was advertised as a speaker, she did not ultimately attend.

Dan Kildee

DNC, Congressman Hold Rally With Virulently Anti-Gay Pastor To Boost Urban Vote In ‘Toss-Up’ House Race

DNC, Congressman Hold Rally With Virulently Anti-Gay Pastor To Boost Urban Vote In 'Toss-Up' House Race

2022 Election

2022 Midterms

Democratic National Committee

Homophobia

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/flint" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Flint</a>, Michigan, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/democratic-party" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Democrat</a> Mayor Sheldon Neeley does not have a bachelor’s degree in communications despite biographies claiming that he did for years on multiple official websites and a government document.
Numerous websites with Neeley&#8217;s biography claimed he graduated from Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) with a bachelor’s degree in communications, but Fox News Digital <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/whitmer-backed-flint-michigan-mayor-lied-graduating-university" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reached out</a> to the university, and it confirmed Neeley only attended and never graduated. When asked about the phony claim, Neeley&#8217;s office deflected the blame to a staffer, and said he “has been clear from the beginning” about only receiving an associates degree from Delta College and studying for a time at SVSU.
“Any legislative biography that said otherwise was a compounded oversight made by a political staffer. Mayor Neeley has worked to set the record straight,” a spokesperson for the city said in a statement, <a href="https://www.abc12.com/news/flint-mayor-says-he-doesnt-have-degree-from-svsu-despite-biographies-that-claimed-he-does/article_a4ba9610-2ef0-11ed-a008-b7ae39a07e61.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to ABC 12 News.
Multiple official websites, including the city&#8217;s website for a time, falsely credited Neeley with a bachelor&#8217;s degree, and a Michigan House <a href="http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(c0bhgfvwkhd3pvzqe5yc3tuc))/documents/2019-2020/Journal/House/pdf/2019-HJ-11-07-107.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proclamation</a> honoring the former Democratic state legislator said that he earned a bachelor&#8217;s degree from SVSU. Local news outlets have also published Neeley’s false education information, Fox News reported.
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220906193253/https://www.michiganbusiness.org/about-medc/executive-committee/mayor-sheldon-neeley/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appeared</a> to <a href="https://www.michiganbusiness.org/about-medc/executive-committee/mayor-sheldon-neeley/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revise</a> the false claim on its website Wednesday. Neeley serves on the executive committee for the corporation. Meanwhile, Neeley’s state legislator biography continues to <a href="https://www.billtrack50.com/legislatordetail/20908" target="_blank" rel="noopener">falsely describe</a> his educational achievements as of this article’s publishing. The organization <a href="https://urbancoremayors.org/our-mayors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Urban Core Mayors</a> and the <a href="https://cqrcengage.com/masb/app/person/46903?0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michigan Association of School Boards</a> also say Neeley graduated from SVSU with a bachelor’s degree in communications.
The Flint mayor is up for re-election in November and has received an endorsement from Michigan Democratic Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gretchen-whitmer-continues-to-brag-about-creating-25000-auto-jobs-but-thats-not-true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gretchen Whitmer</a>. “[T]here is no one that’s going to get it done better than Mayor Neeley. That’s why he needs a second term,” Whitmer <a href="https://nbc25news.com/news/local/gov-whitmer-endorses-sheldon-neeley-for-flint-mayor-re-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> of Neeley in May.
Neeley has risen through the ranks of the Michigan political world, beginning his career as a Flint city councilman for nine years before successfully running for state representative in 2014 and then for mayor of the long-beleaguered Michigan city in 2019. Democratic politics has also become a part of the Neeley family. His wife Cynthia took his seat as a state legislator after he resigned to become mayor.
Neeley will face former Flint Mayor Karen Weaver in November, who he defeated in the 2018 election.

Mid section of man in graduation gown holding diploma

Whitmer-Endorsed Michigan Mayor’s Bios Falsely Claimed He Has Bachelor’s Degree. He Blames A Staffer.

Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley's Biographies Falsely Claimed To Have Bachelor's Degree

College

Democrats

Gretchen Whitmer

The Flint, Michigan, school board <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7CVnfkZaC8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> August 17 to pay the legal fees of a board member who physically assaulted a colleague during a meeting, even though lawyers have said such a payment would be illegal.
In March, Danielle Green, who at the time was president of the Flint Community Schools board, allegedly <a href="https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2022/03/flint-school-board-member-removed-from-presidency-after-allegedly-assaulting-colleague.html">choked</a> colleague Laura MacIntyre, slammed her head into a desk causing a concussion, and <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/ousted-school-board-president-staying-on-board-after-allegedly-slamming-punching-head-of-colleague/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">punched</a> her until she was bloody, during a 10 a.m. Finance Committee meeting.
“There was no fight. There was no argument. I was chairing a committee meeting and I was attacked, unprovoked,” MacIntyre said soon after. The board voted unanimously to strip Green of the presidency, though it did not have the power to remove her from the board, according to MLive.
On Monday, Green agreed to resign her seat on the board as a condition of a plea deal, <a href="https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2022/08/green-agrees-to-resign-from-flint-school-board-after-alleged-assault-of-colleague.html">MLive</a> reported.
Green did not attend meetings for five months after MacIntyre got a restraining order against her. MacIntyre, who is a &#8220;queer&#8221; white woman, called the attack by Green, who is black, a hate crime, saying “I use the term ‘queer’ to take back the power,” according to <a href="https://flintbeat.com/flint-board-of-ed-treasurer-files-personal-protection-orders-after-alleged-assault-by-former-board-president/">Flint Beat</a>.
But days before the plea deal, she returned for a final chaotic August 17 board meeting in which MacIntyre was stripped of her role as treasurer, and the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/loudoun-county-schools-tried-to-conceal-sexual-assault-against-daughter-in-bathroom-father-says">school board&#8217;s</a> current president was abruptly deposed. That empowered a faction sympathetic to Green apparently vying for revenge.
At the end of that meeting, Green made a motion for the school district to pay her legal fees, on the basis that it was also paying the legal costs of her victim.
&#8220;I want to make a motion &#8230; this is not a court. The court was held for me, under the situation I&#8217;m going through &#8230;.I&#8217;m making a motion that [my legal fees] be paid, the money I spent and the money I may have to spent to be covered also,&#8221; she said.
Carol McIntosh, who had just become president, said &#8220;I was told &#8230; that that was completely illegal. I would like to speak to legal and see if it is illegal. And if it is legal then I would also like the district to pay Mrs. Green&#8217;s fees too. What&#8217;s good for the goose is good for the gander.&#8221;
&#8220;The motion is on the floor to pay Mrs. Green&#8217;s legal fees if we&#8217;re also going to pay Mrs. MacIntyre&#8217;s legal fees,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I&#8217;m looking to see if it is legal. If it is not legal, I&#8217;m going to request that the district be refunded.&#8221; The board voted four to three to pay Green&#8217;s bills.
Schools in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/flint-councilman-threatens-crackhead-colleague-he-says-is-trying-to-control-100-million-in-coronavirus-funds">Flint</a> — the crime-ridden and impoverished city best known for its contaminated water crisis and the ensuing river of federal money — received <a href="https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2021/03/flint-schools-will-receive-114m-or-36000-per-student-from-covid-19-relief-bill.html">$36,000 per student</a> in coronavirus aid, compared to around $1,000 per student for many other districts, MLive reported.
Despite the unheard-of per-pupil funding intended to mitigate the effects of COVID, the school district was not providing <a href="https://www.michiganradio.org/news/2022-02-06/flint-community-schools-return-to-in-person-learning-monday">in-person classes</a> as recently as February of this year.
The school board met this month with personal cubicles of plexiglass surrounding each of them, apparently as coronavirus protection, even though the room was sparsely populated.

Flint Community Schools

Flint School Board Votes To Pay Legal Bills Of Member Who Punched Colleague During Meeting

Flint School Board To Pay Legal Bills Of Member Who Punched Colleague During Meeting

School Boards

The Michigan Supreme Court threw out charges on Tuesday against former Governor Rick Snyder and eight public officials involved in the 2014 Flint Water crisis, saying a one-man jury wrongly indicted them.
Attorney General Dana Nessel, who took office in 2019, authorized using a one-man grand jury rather than charging officials in open court. That one man — Democrat-appointed Judge David Newblatt — issued the indictments after considering the evidence behind closed doors.
Chief Justice Bridget McCormack called the one-man jury a &#8220;Star Chamber comeback,&#8221; referencing 17th-century English court proceedings held in secret and abused by high-ranking officials.
However, Michigan&#8217;s highest court <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/580161798/MSC-Flint">ruled</a> unanimously against the wrongful charges, noting state laws &#8220;authorize a judge to investigate, subpoena witnesses, and issue arrest warrants.&#8221;
&#8220;But they do not authorize the judge to issue indictments,&#8221; McCormack wrote.
&#8220;To this day, the defendants do not know what evidence the prosecution presented to convince the grand jury (i.e., juror) to charge them,&#8221; she wrote.
Justice Richard Bernstein concurred, writing separately that Nessel&#8217;s office &#8220;invoked obscure statutes, specifically to deprive defendants of their statutory right to a preliminary examination.&#8221;
When an attorney general authorizes a one-man grand jury, state law grants the right to a preliminary examination that disqualifies the judge who conducted the hearing.
A few of the defendant&#8217;s lawyers challenged the indictments, which also applied to Snyder and others, asking for a preliminary examination. However, officials denied the motion, &#8220;holding that indicted person have no right to a preliminary examination.&#8221;
The Associated Press reported that &#8220;the attorney general&#8217;s office had no immediate comment on the decision.”
Snyder&#8217;s legal team described the court&#8217;s opinion to The Associated Press as &#8220;unequivocal and scathing.&#8221;
&#8220;These prosecutions of Governor Snyder and the other defendants were never about seeking justice for the citizens of Flint,&#8221; Snyder&#8217;s lawyers told The Associated Press. &#8220;Rather, Attorney General Nessel and her political appointee Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud staged a self-interested, vindictive, wasteful and politically motivated prosecution.&#8221;
The Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-crime-michigan-indictments-rick-snyder-609f461af3bb2d7f10a40c5d663620eb">reported</a> Snyder acknowledged his administration&#8217;s failure in Flint by calling it a crisis born from &#8220;a breakdown in state government.&#8221;
Before the state&#8217;s highest court threw out charges against Snyder, he faced two misdemeanor counts of willful neglect of duty.
Former Health and Human Services director Nick Lyon and Michigan&#8217;s former chief medical executive, Dr. Eden Wells, were charged with involuntary manslaughter for nine deaths.
Six others were also indicted on various charges: Snyder&#8217;s longtime fixer, Rich Baird; former senior aide Jarrod Agen; former Flint managers Gerald Ambrose and Darnell Earley; former Flint public works chief Howard Croft; and Nancy Peeler, a state health department manager, The Associated Press reported.
&#8220;The Democrat-majority Michigan Supreme Court has slapped down Dana Nessel&#8217;s abuse of power and ruled her political witch hunt illegal,&#8221; Tori Sachs, executive director of Michigan Freedom Fund, a non-profit conservative advocacy group, said in a statement. &#8220;Dana Nessel&#8217;s legal ineptitude cost Michigan taxpayers millions of dollars while she weaponized the judicial system to attack her political opposition.&#8221;
Sachs said before Michigan&#8217;s Supreme Court ruling on Tuesday, &#8220;[it] was the only state in the nation using one-person grand juries to target citizens with criminal charges.&#8221;
A <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2021/01/25/michigan-judge-charging-republicans-in-flint-water-crisis-history-donating-democrats/">report</a> by The Daily Caller reveals the judge who served as a one-person grand juror previously donated to Democrat politicians.
The Flint Water crisis began in 2014 when health officials changed the city&#8217;s drinking water supply from Detroit&#8217;s system to the Flint River to save money. But poor corrosion control treatments and testing of the supply resulted in fatal and other serious health issues for Flint residents. As a result, lead and other contaminants permeated the water, which infected 91 people and killed 12 others in the Flint area.
A judge approved a $600-million settlement in 2021 for the victims of the Flint water crisis, saying it&#8217;s &#8220;a fair and sensible resolution of the claims against the settling defendants.&#8221;

Flint Michigan Water Hearing

Top Michigan Court Ruled Former Republican Governor And Other Public Officials In Flint Water Crisis Wrongfully Indicted

Top Michigan Court: Judge Wrongfully Indicted Former Republican Governor

Rick Snyder

Supreme Court

Menu