Livingston County Sheriff's Office accused of breaking campaign finance law by hosting Trump visit

HOWELL, Mich. (WXYZ) — The Michigan Bureau of Elections is now investigating allegations that the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office violated the state’s Campaign Finance Act by hosting former President Donald Trump this week.

On Tuesday Livingston County Sheriff Michael Murphy and his department hosted Trump for a “press conference,” but thousands of residents online took issue saying they found it largely inappropriate.

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Now we’re learning it may also be against Michigan law.

“Folks tend to be very very passionate about politics,” said Sheriff Michael J. Murphy in a Facebook video he posted previewing the event.

7 News Detroit reached out to Research Professor Emeritus at The Center for Political Studies at the University of Michigan, Michael Traugott, to ask if he has ever heard of a sheriff’s department doing something like this in the past.

Traugott responded, “Well it’s not very common because of the fact that it’s illegal.”

He’s referring to the Michigan Campaign Finance Act which says “public body or a person acting for a public body shall not use or authorize the use of funds, personnel, office space, computer hardware or software, property, stationery, postage, vehicles, equipment, supplies, or other public resources” to support political candidates.

7 News Detroit reached out the Sheriff Murphy asking for an interview and he gave our team the following statement, “I don’t believe I violated the Campaign Finance Act. I welcome the investigation.”

Traugott said Sheriff Murphy has been found guilty of breaking campaign finance laws before in 2018 and was fined $100 to the state and another $100 to the county.

“Which is essentially just a slap on the wrist and, obviously, didn’t dissuade him from doing this again,” said Traugott.

The controversy comes as on August 7 JD Vance held an event at the Shelby Township Police Department to “deliver remarks.”

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Traugott said he believes these events are being called “remarks” and “press conferences” to avoid being labeled political events.

He added that if Sheriff Murphy is found in violation of the Michigan Campaign Finance Act there is a fine of up to $1,000 and, “In the end, the voters will have to decide how they feel about this because he’s an elected official.”

Once a determination in the investigation is made, it will be made public here.