Campaign complaints filed against Lucido
Activist’s allegations include using county resources for political ends
Democratic activist Mark Brewer has filed campaign violation complaints against Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido with the state in addition to prior complaints with the county Ethics Board about different but related issues.
“Macomb County Prosecutor Pete Lucido is a serial violator of” a state law that prohibits public officials from using public resources for a political campaign,” Brewer says in the complaint. “The evidence is overwhelming that Macomb County Prosecutor Pete Lucido has repeatedly violated (state law) by using Macomb County funds, personnel, office space, computers, email lists, property, equipment, supplies, and other public resources to engage in political campaign activities. He has illegally treated the Prosecutor’s Office as an arm of his reelection campaign.”
Brewer, a former longtime chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, alleges in a complaint filed Friday with the Secretary of State’s Bureau of Elections that Lucido has used a county email to send a newsletter to county employees at their county email addresses that includes a heading with a link to his campaign web site, used an intern to perform campaign work in the office, sold campaign items at a county-sponsored senior event last fall and used county employees and resources for personal and campaign activities.
Brewer said he wants to hold Lucido accountable.
“He’s subject to the law like everyone else,” he said. “He should obey the. He should stop violating the law.”
Lucido, a Republican, responded Friday by accusing Brewer of conducting a “political attack” and “grasping at straws,” and touting the accomplishments of his office.
“He is grasping at straws because he knows the Macomb County Prosecutor’s
Office is much better off than it was four years ago,” Lucido said in a written statement.
He indicates he has not seen the new allegations and repeats a prior attack on Brewer by noting the $500,000 fine levied against Michigan Democrats in 2017 for bingo games that operated under his leadership as party chair.
“This is a political attack by a political consultant involved in campaign finance violations that resulted in a $500,000 fine,” Lucido said. “He complained he was denied due process. But he is now doing exactly the same thing by sending out a political attack to the press before I have even seen a copy. I’ll address it when I see it.”