Breaking: Judge Shackelford Responds To Real Estate Scandal Involving Her And Former Taylor Mayor Rick Sollars

 

The Hon. Judge Victoria Shackelford

 By Brandon Hall

(Email him at WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com)

In a scathing statement to West Michigan Politics over a recent article about the scandal involving her controversial real estate deals, 23rd District Court Judge Victoria Shackelford produced a letter from the Assistant US Attorneys in Michigan's Eastern District, and she had strong words for Shady Awad, the government's star witness in the Rick Sollars public corruption case, alleging he "perjured himself." Shackelford did not provide any evidence substantiating her perjury claims against Shady.

Rick Sollars is the former Mayor of Taylor now being sentenced in a major federal corruption case. 

Shackelford, the Chief Judge of the 23rd District Court in Taylor, also seemingly threatened West Michigan Politics with legal action.

"You have my no target letter that was provided by the DOJ after the witness perjured himself," Shackelford said in an emailed statement . "The letter clearly states I am not and never was a target in this investigation. I am not under investigation, as the letter clearly states, and your article is false. The article needs to be corrected. The letter was signed by both AUSAs on this case after I met with them."

Shackelford then indicated she will be suing West Michigan Politics.

"You have harmed my career and reputation with this false article," Shackelford said. "It needs to be corrected forthwith. My attorney will be in contact with you. I will be pursuing all legal avenues available to me to protect my reputation and career."

Blockbuster court documents from the testimony of Shady Awad, the government's star witness in the Sollars case published exclusively by West Michigan Politics last week, show Judge Victoria Shackelford, who was appointed  to the bench by Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2021, bought a $180,000 house for just $130,000 in 2018---then demanded $15,000 in free home improvements. 

Judge Shackelford apparently even wrote a check for a lot adjacent to the property, but had the check returned back to her---uncashed.

Shackelford needed to live in the City of Taylor in order to get the Judicial appointment from Governor Whitmer ahead of the retirement of 23rd District Court Judge Geno Salamone.

And breaking today---a West Michigan Politics exclusive---we have confirmed the existence of a text message exchange between Sollars and Shady discussing Shackelford's home.

Shackelford sent WMP a letter dated April 12th from the Assistant US Attorneys in the Eastern District, Frances Lee Carlson, and Robert Moran.

"Dear Judge Shackelford:

Please be advised that you are not presently, nor have you previously been, the target of an investigation conducted in this district relating to, in general terms, public officials in the City of Taylor corruptly receiving benefits from Shady Awad and others."

One West Michigan Politics reader says that the letter is basically meaningless.

"The letter for Shackelford is nothing. It merely states that she was not the target of investigation previously, or the target currently," Roger Vanderpool wrote.

 

"In 2018, she was not a Judge yet, so yes, she was not a target as a public official when she got an amazingly awesome "friend of Sollars" house deal. Then as to presently/currently part, yes, she is now a Judge and a public official, but she is not currently getting a benefit from Shady Awad because she already got the sweet deal back BEFORE she was a government official. 

The testimony is clear. Shady Awad had a house worth $180k, he was forced to sell it to her for $130K. This is all true as shown by the deeds that are public record, and real estate valuations from several places all showing that the value of the home was not $130k." 

Property records indeed show Shackelford bought the house, now worth ~$200,000+, for just $129,900 in the spring of 2018. Multiple valuations show the house's actual value was worth closer to ~$180,000. It was originally listed for $150k just weeks before the sale...

After extensive rumination, though it is *technically* public information and very much news worthy, West Michigan Politics won't identify the address of Judge Shackelford's home because of (obvious) safety precautions, as the Judge is married with 3 children. I don't want some nut easily able to find her address through this or any other article.

A photo for some context is fair game, though---this is the home in question: 

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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