Attorney amends ethics complaint against Macomb County prosecutor
Jakkar AimeryA prominent election attorney said Friday that Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido "should be fined for" using county government property for political campaign material.
Mark Brewer, an attorney at Goodman Acker P.C. and former chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, on Friday pressured the county's Ethics Board to hold Lucido "accountable for violations" with punishment for allegedly using county property on his campaign website and in campaign photos for former Sterling Heights City Council candidate Paul Manni during Manni’s 2021 campaign.
On Friday, Brewer released a copy of a letter he sent to Macomb County's Ethics Board, which he said acts as additional support for his claim highlighting violations by an elected county official. He cited a 2016 Detroit News report on former Macomb County Public Works Commissioner Anthony Marrocco, who was fined $125 by the Ethics Board for violating the county’s ethics ordinance for filming a television campaign ad in a county facility. Brewer said Lucido "should be fined" as punishment.
"The campaign photos of Manni taken in Lucido's office and the photo of Lucido in his office used on his campaign website are no different than what Marrocco did," Brewer wrote. "All elected officials regardless of political party must be held accountable for violations of the Ethics Ordinance. Lucido is guilty of violating the Ordinance and must be punished."
"Like Marrocco, Lucido should be fined for his violations of the Ethics Ordinance," he added.
Lucido, a Republican up for reelection this year, could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.
Brewer, an election lawyer from Clinton Township who works for Democratic politicians, has filed the two complaints against Lucido this year.
Brewer's first complaint to the board was filed in mid-February, alleging Lucido used county property to create photos for Manni's campaign; Manni lost his campaign for the Sterling Heights city council seat the general election.
Manni pleaded guilty in October to three counts of making a false statement in an application for an absentee ballot in 2021, which is a misdemeanor. A circuit court judge later ordered him to pay $1,500 in fines, $500 per count.
On Feb. 14, Lucido's office released an affidavit from Manni, who said the photos were taken when he had a meeting with Lucido in June 2021 at his office. Manni said Lucido was not aware of his use of the photos in his campaign literature.
Brewer's second ethics violation complaint against Lucido filed to the board was submitted this month and included a screenshot from Lucido’s campaign website that illustrates Lucido seated in an office. Brewer is alleging that the photo was taken in the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office.
Brewer's new complaint alleges Lucido used "county property, buildings, and offices to create a photo of himself for political campaign purposes in violation of Ordinance Sections 5.e.(2)(b) and (c)." According to the ordinance, a public servant shall not use or allow others to use “county land, buildings, facilities, or other property” in pursuit of campaign activities.
It's unclear when the photo was taken, but the website has been around for several years, according to the Internet Archive. The website appears to have outdated information on it, including identifying U.S. Rep. John James, R-Shelby Township, as a candidate for U.S. Senate and a message from Lucido in which he wishes everyone "a great start to 2021" (James ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2020).
Dorie Vazquez-Nolan, chair of the Macomb County Ethics Board, has said the board will conduct a probable cause review of complaints at its next meeting, which is at 8:30 a.m. March 19.
jaimery@detroitnews.com