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| Attorney General Bill Schuette, right, recently with MSU Football coach Mark Dantonio and son Billy |
By Brandon Hall
(Email him at WestMiPolitics@Gmail.com)
This morning, State Rep. Todd Courser announced he will ask Attorney General Schuette to investigate the #MeekhofSenateBuilding:
"Today I am asking Attorney General, Bill Schuette, to investigate the purchase of the Capitol View Office building, which was over three times the market value, and to determine if any corruption of public officials was involved in the translation and if so, how and who benefited. This is another example of men in power using the hand of government to enrich themselves or their friends at the expense of the taxpayers. It is a perfect example as to why people are absolutely sick and offended by the powerful political class of both parties stripping the wealth from the people's treasury for their own profit. I am asking for a full investigation into the process, the participants, and the use of state resources to purchase the building at a price vastly higher than market price."
According to Ron Dwyer at "Setting The Record Straight," the letter to Attorney General Schuette requested months ago by WMP played a part in the Courser/Gamrat revelations:
"This morning radio hosts Trucker Randy Bishop & Brian Sommerfield(Your Defending Fathers Radio Show on 94.5 fm in Petoskey Michigan)stated that timing of the State Representative Cindy Gamrat and State Representative Todd Courser affair was to deflect and stop an investigation of the unnecessary purchase of the new Senate Building which was purchased 3 times over the market value. The building was assessed to be valued at $12 Million but yet the state is purchasing it for over $41 million."
>>>Do I believe this? No. As the one who requested Courser make this inquiry and someone who spoke with Courser multiple times about it, I am completely confident it is not the reason for the recent controversy. However, it does deserve a full investigation-it's far more important than the Courser/Gamrat drama when it comes to the cost to the public- and I am elated to see that State Rep. Courser will evidently soon send the request to the Attorney General.
Months ago, WMP wrote:
"State Rep. Todd Courser blasted the new #MeekhofSenateBuilding in a statement to West Michigan Politics Tuesday. Courser also tells WMP he is "considering what the next steps need to be, including asking the attorney general for an opinion."
WMP announced earlier today that we would ask Gamrat or Courser to do just that, and Rep. Courser is moving forward on that process.
"Such actions and attempts to hide such actions, if true, are shameful and should receive the fullest vetting possible, both in the public square and also, if appropriate in the halls of justice," Courser said.
Courser said that "It is unfortunate, shameful, and sinful when a public official or officials work to fleece the public of both their trust and their treasury; the details of the sale of the Senate building should be immediately opened to public scrutiny so the public may determine if there has been wrongdoing by either the current or past Senate leadership."
Courser also blasted Senate Majority Leader Meekhof, writing:
"Unfortunately, we now have the current leadership of the Senate, Arlan Meekhof and company, changing the FOIA rules to keep the public from knowing why their money was spent this way, and who benefited from the gross over-payment of this transaction. This is looking more to political theft than an arms-length transaction for the benefit of the public good. These are the types of unscrupulous transactions that happen in third world counties under despotic leadership; they have no place in our precious Republic.""
Here is the text of Courser's letter to Schuette:
"July 2, 2015
MICHIGAN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
TODD COURSER
STATE REPRESENTATIVE
This is submitted as an official request to the office of the Honorable Attorney General Bill
Schuette, for an opinion as to the legality of the process in which the state senators procured the
acquisition of the Capitol View (proposed Senate) Building.
At the end of the 2013-2014 legislative session, the Michigan Senate entered into a purchase
agreement, backed by bonds from the Michigan Strategic Fund, to purchase office space within
the Capitol View building in downtown Lansing. The purchase price was reportedly upwards of
$41 million dollars. The Assessor of Record for the city of Lansing, where the building is
located, subsequently noted that the purchase price was vastly over the true cost and value of
similar office space in downtown Lansing. The Assessor instead placed the value on the office
space at closer to $12 million, a stunning discrepancy.
Though no statute currently bars a house of the legislature for entering into these bonding
agreements, the discrepancies raise several questions of which I would appreciate a legal opinion
from the Attorney General's office.
The State of Michigan real estate division requires that an appraisal be done before buying any
building. Why was there no appraisal done on the Capitol View (proposed Senate) Building
prior to purchase?
Why is the office of the Senate Majority Leader saying that they felt that an appraisal was not
necessary for this purchase?
William Fowler (Assessor of Record in Lansing) is on record saying that the current value of the
building is just under $12 million. What formula or computation was used to determine a
purchase price of $41 million?
Why is the Michigan Strategic Fund floating the bonds for the purchase of the Capitol View
Building? The House has not authorized the sale of the current Senate building. Is this an
acceptable action for the Michigan Strategic Fund?
The Senate is claiming it will cost $25 million to update their current building. They are using
this as a justification for the move. The Governor's office is saying that the expense should be
$11.5 million. Why has nobody been able to see the engineering report that was done detailing
the work needed? The Senate will not release this document.
Four bids were submitted, but none of them have been seen. Why are we to believe that this was
the "best deal?" The Senate will not release this information either.
Did taxpayers overpay for this building, because the seller involved is a big political donor?
Have certain Senators benefited by donations from the seller of this building?"
>>>BLACKLIST: As Courser/Gamrat Drama Rages, Media Keeps Michiganders In The Dark On State Senate Scandals
WMP In Huffington Post
__________________________________________________________
Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.
Twitter
"Such actions and attempts to hide such actions, if true, are shameful and should receive the fullest vetting possible, both in the public square and also, if appropriate in the halls of justice," Courser said.
Courser said that "It is unfortunate, shameful, and sinful when a public official or officials work to fleece the public of both their trust and their treasury; the details of the sale of the Senate building should be immediately opened to public scrutiny so the public may determine if there has been wrongdoing by either the current or past Senate leadership."
Courser also blasted Senate Majority Leader Meekhof, writing:
"Unfortunately, we now have the current leadership of the Senate, Arlan Meekhof and company, changing the FOIA rules to keep the public from knowing why their money was spent this way, and who benefited from the gross over-payment of this transaction. This is looking more to political theft than an arms-length transaction for the benefit of the public good. These are the types of unscrupulous transactions that happen in third world counties under despotic leadership; they have no place in our precious Republic.""
Here is the text of Courser's letter to Schuette:
"July 2, 2015
MICHIGAN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
TODD COURSER
STATE REPRESENTATIVE
This is submitted as an official request to the office of the Honorable Attorney General Bill
Schuette, for an opinion as to the legality of the process in which the state senators procured the
acquisition of the Capitol View (proposed Senate) Building.
At the end of the 2013-2014 legislative session, the Michigan Senate entered into a purchase
agreement, backed by bonds from the Michigan Strategic Fund, to purchase office space within
the Capitol View building in downtown Lansing. The purchase price was reportedly upwards of
$41 million dollars. The Assessor of Record for the city of Lansing, where the building is
located, subsequently noted that the purchase price was vastly over the true cost and value of
similar office space in downtown Lansing. The Assessor instead placed the value on the office
space at closer to $12 million, a stunning discrepancy.
Though no statute currently bars a house of the legislature for entering into these bonding
agreements, the discrepancies raise several questions of which I would appreciate a legal opinion
from the Attorney General's office.
The State of Michigan real estate division requires that an appraisal be done before buying any
building. Why was there no appraisal done on the Capitol View (proposed Senate) Building
prior to purchase?
Why is the office of the Senate Majority Leader saying that they felt that an appraisal was not
necessary for this purchase?
William Fowler (Assessor of Record in Lansing) is on record saying that the current value of the
building is just under $12 million. What formula or computation was used to determine a
purchase price of $41 million?
Why is the Michigan Strategic Fund floating the bonds for the purchase of the Capitol View
Building? The House has not authorized the sale of the current Senate building. Is this an
acceptable action for the Michigan Strategic Fund?
The Senate is claiming it will cost $25 million to update their current building. They are using
this as a justification for the move. The Governor's office is saying that the expense should be
$11.5 million. Why has nobody been able to see the engineering report that was done detailing
the work needed? The Senate will not release this document.
Four bids were submitted, but none of them have been seen. Why are we to believe that this was
the "best deal?" The Senate will not release this information either.
Did taxpayers overpay for this building, because the seller involved is a big political donor?
Have certain Senators benefited by donations from the seller of this building?"
>>>Read more below:
Blogger who supported Gamrat-Courser ended up chronicling their downfall
MLive: Courser+Gamrat: Evolution Of A Sex Scandal
WMP In Buzzfeed
WMP Featured On Fox 17 For Helping Break Courser/Gamrat Scandal
Courser And Gamrat Must Resign
Confirmed: Courser+Gamrat Met At Lansing Radisson For Dozens Of Sexual Trysts
Read Todd Courser's Full False Flag Email Uncensored (Warning: Explicit Content)
Breaking: Detroit News Confirms WMP's Courser Email Story, Reveals Affair With State Rep. Cindy Gamrat
False Flag? Sources: Courser Sent Controversial Email+House GOP Leadership Knows, No Longer Attends Caucus Meetings
Selweski: Strange tea party soap opera at the state Capitol
Detroit News: Recordings: State rep asked aide to hide relationship
WMP In Huffington Post
__________________________________________________________
Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.
>>>Email him at WestMiPolitics@Gmail.com
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Photo By Darlene Dowling Thompson
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Todd should do two things. Keep his pants zipped and shut up. He is in no place to talk about corruption.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Courser that the insane and costly construction of a new Senate Office Building should be investigated by our AG Schuette .... but, that should not deflect from Courser's "inoculating the herd" deleterious actions and subterfuge.
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