Republican John Truscott told MIRS that James’ campaign has “basically taken a gun and pointed at their own head with this kind of thing. This is just beyond stupidity.”
LANSING — John James dodged questions last week over his support for Medicaid cuts, and now he’s facing major bipartisan criticism for blatantly using taxpayer-funded federal government resources to promote his campaign for governor, with one Republican consultant saying it was “just beyond stupidity.”
New reporting further shows James’ ethics violation, with his spokesperson Hannah Osantowske even telling MIRS in an email before the official congressional event: “This is an official event in his official capacity as the U.S. Representative for Jimmy John’s Field. We will not legally be able to cover any political issues tonight.” However, at the event, John James for Governor posters were plastered throughout and staff wore campaign shirts.
John Truscott, a former aide to Republican Gov. John Engler, told MIRS that “the one thing you don’t want to do in a campaign is have self-inflicted wounds. I mean, they’ve basically taken a gun and pointed at their own head with this kind of thing. This is just beyond stupidity.”
The ethics controversy comes as James didn’t answer questions if he would get rid of the state’s Medicaid expansion program, instead dodging by saying, “I’m not sure how much we can get into politics.”
“John James won’t answer questions about his votes to rip away healthcare and give tax breaks to the billionaire DeVos family, but he’ll gladly plaster his own campaign signs all over a taxpayer-funded event — and even Republicans are calling him out,” said Michigan Democratic Party spokesperson Derrick Honeyman. “It’s clear that John James only cares about himself, not the people of Michigan.”
Read more on the ethics controversy swirling around James’ campaign:
Detroit News: Michigan Dems call out potential ethics violation at John James event
- “The complaint alleged that James used taxpayer resources from his U.S. House office at a Wednesday event where at least one staffer and several printed signs also promoted the Republican lawmaker’s run for governor of Michigan.”
Washington Examiner: Michigan Democrat files ethics complaint against John James over misuse of congressional resources
- “The complaint, which was sent to the House Ethics Committee on Friday, calls James’s conduct an ‘abuse’ of taxpayer funds and claims James is using his role in Congress to ‘“advance [his] private political ambitions.’”
WLNS: Ethics complaint targets Rep. John James for campaign misuse
- “A Michigan Democratic Party activist has filed an ethics complaint against U.S. Rep. John James (R-Mich.), accusing the gubernatorial candidate of using taxpayer resources to promote his campaign.”
MIRS: Ethics Complaint Made Against James For Backpack Giveaway
- “Truscott said to MIRS this first time in his life that he agreed with Mark Brewer, an elections attorney and past MDP chair of 18 years. Brewer explained to MIRS that, regardless of who paid for the backpacks, there were campaign signs for his governor’s run at an event promoted by his Congressional office.”
Gongwer: Dems file ethics complaint over James event
- “Michigan Democrats claimed in a complaint filed Friday that U.S. Rep. John James used official resources to fund an event promoting his campaign for governor.”
Oakland Press: Michigan Dems cite potential ethics violation at John James event
- “Rutherford pointed out that, according to the House Ethics Manual, ‘official resources of the House must, as a general rule, be used for the performance of official business of the House, and hence those resources may not be used for campaign or political purposes.’”
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