5 Reasons Why Delegates Need To Be Careful About Supporting Andrew Fink For Michigan Supreme Court

State Rep. Andrew Fink

By Brandon Hall

(Email him at WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com)   

State Rep. Andrew Fink is running for a seat on the Michigan Supreme Court, and he has proven to be a likable, hard working candidate, hitting Lincoln Day Dinners and other local GOP events across the state for nearly a year now. 

Fink was originally running for a partial term, but switched races when Justice David Viviano announced his retirement. (Some of the endorsements on his website are actually for that first race, not the current one.)

He faces Court Of Appeals Judge Mark Boonstra, who has been endorsed by President Trump. 

However, Fink's record raises multiple red flags that delegates need to consider before voting for him.

1. When Gretchen Whitmer's illegal lockdowns devastated our state---destroying hundreds of small businesses and killing thousands of Seniors in nursing homes---instead of actually standing up to her, Andrew Fink REPEATEDLY voted for Whitmer's awful budgets.

Fink voted to give Big Gretch $144 BILLION of our money from 2021- 2023!

(Source: MichiganVotes.org)

2. Fink is very close to his former boss, ex Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey. 

Fink was Shirkey's District Director in 2019, and Shirkey strongly backed Fink's State House candidacy in 2020. 

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3216407985104385

Some have even called Fink "the brains" behind Shirkey's operation...

Shirkey is also a major donor to Fink's Supreme Court run, with Shirkey giving Fink $1,000 for his campaign.

Shirkey is severely disliked by the grassroots for among other things, his horrendous lack of leadership during Whitmer's illegal lockdowns, as well as his bizarre personal obsession with her.

3. Andrew Fink donated to and supported controversial Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Clement in 2018. Not much money, but important because he has only ever supported just 2 other candidates financially...

Is Clement's moderate style the type of judicial philosophy Fink would bring to the Michigan Supreme Court?

Many believe Clement was never really re-nominated in 2018 at the State Convention after she had just voted to ban guns, and voted in favor of the radical left's redistricting commission that gave Gretchen Whitmer total control of the State Legislature.

The commission then drew illegal, racist maps favoring the Dems that were later thrown out by federal judges after the 2022 election...

4. Andrew Fink has been severely compromised by $79,000 in lobbyist money from DOZENS of crooked DC and Lansing PACs, a MAJOR conflict of interest for a Judicial candidate that could lead to him having to recuse himself from multiple cases:

Source: https://cfrsearch.nictusa.com/committees/519345

5. Fink served honorably in the Marines in a non-combat role as a Judge advocate, which is to be applauded. 

However, time and time again, Fink has voted against our Veterans in the State House while repeatedly voting for corporate welfare and business subsidy scams, among other immensely concerning votes:

2021 House Bill 4380 Create state “military and veteran services support fund”

• Voted against

• Passed 97 to 12 on June 15, 2021

2023 House Bill 4850 / Public Act 308 Courts: juries; exemption from jury service for certain military personnel; allow.

• Voted against

• Passed 86 to 23 on Oct. 19, 2023

2023 House Bill 5280 Military affairs: other; Michigan azimuth bridge program for transitioning military service members' mental health; establish.

• Voted against

• Passed 98 to 11 on June 20, 2024

2023 House Bill 5279 Military affairs: other; office of mental health peer mentorship program; establish within the Michigan department of military and veterans affairs.

• Voted against

• Passed 97 to 12 on June 20, 2024

2023 House Bill 5277 Military affairs: other; office of mental health; establish within the Michigan veterans affairs agency.

• Voted against

• Passed 91 to 18 on June 20, 2024

2023 House Bill 5276 Military affairs: other; office of mental health; establish within the Michigan department of military and veterans affairs.

• Voted against

• Passed 89 to 20 on June 20, 2024

2023 House Bill 4477 / Public Act 278 Criminal procedure: sentencing guidelines; sentencing guidelines for crime of institutional desecration and causing vulnerable adult to provide sexually explicit visual material; provide for.

• Voted against

• Passed 82 to 27 on June 20, 2023

2021 Senate Bill 642 End competitive bidding on state architectural, engineering and surveying contracts

• Voted in favor

• Passed 75 to 21 on Dec. 8, 2022

2021 Senate Bill 432 / 2022 Public Act 239 Authorize more developer subsidies

• Voted in favor

• Passed 71 to 37 on Nov. 10, 2022

2021 Senate Bill 422 / 2022 Public Act 237 Authorize rental housing subsidies for developers

• Voted in favor

• Passed 70 to 38 on Nov. 10, 2022

2021 Senate Bill 364 / 2022 Public Act 238 Restrict certain selective developer tax breaks to denser development

• Voted in favor

• Passed 71 to 37 on Nov. 10, 2022

2021 Senate Bill 362 / 2022 Public Act 236 Authorize certain developer tax breaks, and housing subsidies

• Voted in favor

• Passed 71 to 37 on Nov. 10, 2022

2021 House Bill 4833 / 2022 Public Act 35 Replace capital equipment tax on heavy equipment rentals with a new rental tax

• Voted in favor

• Passed 102 to 3 on Nov. 10, 2021

• Voted in favor

• Passed 99 to 5 on March 2, 2022

• 
  

2021 Senate Bill 771 / Public Act 136 Create new corporate subsidy program

• Voted in favor

• Passed 81 to 22 on Dec. 14, 2021

2021 Senate Bill 769 / Public Act 137 Create new corporate subsidy program

• Voted in favor

• Passed 81 to 22 on Dec. 14, 2021

2021 Senate Bill 85 / Public Act 132 Authorize new corporate subsidies (originally a regular budget bill)

• Voted in favor

• Passed 108 to 0 on May 20, 2021

• Voted in favor

• Passed 78 to 25 on Dec. 14, 2021

• Voted in favor

• Passed 95 to 8 on Dec. 14, 2021

2021 House Bill 5603 / Public Act 134 Create new corporate subsidy program

• Voted in favor

• Passed 83 to 21 on Dec. 8, 2021

• Voted in favor

• Passed 81 to 22 on Dec. 14, 2021

• 
  

2021 Senate Bill 671 / Public Act 138 Repeal requirement that corporate subsidy scheme benefit state economy

• Voted in favor

• Passed 78 to 26 on Dec. 8, 2021

2021 House Bill 5604 Create new corporate subsidy program

• Voted in favor

• Passed 83 to 21 on Dec. 8, 2021

2021 House Bill 5602 Create new corporate subsidy program

• Voted in favor

• Passed 83 to 21 on Dec. 8, 2021

• 
  

2021 House Bill 4704 Revise animal cruelty procedures

• Voted against

• Passed 91 to 14 on Nov. 10, 2021

2021 House Bill 4703 Revise animal cruelty procedures

• Voted against

• Passed 91 to 14 on Nov. 10, 2021

2021 House Bill 4712 / Public Act 93 Retroactively authorize higher cash subsidies for particular developer

• Voted in favor

• Passed 87 to 21 on Aug. 17, 2021

2021 Senate Bill 501 / Public Act 66 Require unemployment benefit recipients register for work within 21 days

• Voted against

• Passed 103 to 6 on June 24, 2021

2021 House Bill 4527 / 2022 Public Act 97 Authorize carnival ride safety violation fines

• Voted against

• Passed 84 to 26 on June 23, 2021

• 
  

• 
  

2021 House Bill 4050 / Public Act 33 Ban using Freedom Of Information Act requests to locate huntable game

• Voted against

Passed 91 to 16 on March 24, 2021

____________________________________________

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

Breaking: Todd Smalenberg Admits He Lives In Mio And Hillman, Refuses To Say If He Spends Most Nights At The Address In His Sworn Affidavit

Todd Smalenberg

By Brandon Hall

(Email him at WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com)   

106th District State House candidate Todd Smalenberg recently debated State Rep. Cam Cavitt last week in Cheboygan.

The event was moderated by Nick Rhudy of WMKT.

When asked about the controversy over where he really lives, Smalenberg admitted that he lives in both Mio, which is outside of the district, and Hillman.

Smalenberg refused to say whether or not he spent the majority of his nights at the Hillman address listed on the sworn affidavit he filed to run for State House.

Here's what Smalenberg had to say:

The address Smalenberg is registered to vote at---and says is where he lives---is on Aulwes Street in Hillman.

A visit there indicates the property is an empty lot that Smalenberg has placed a camper trailer on.

According to Hillman Township officials, it's not legal to live in a camper without a permit---and there is no record of Smalenberg ever applying for one.

Tax records indicate his Mio property was claimed as Smalenberg's Primary Residence Exemption and Veteran's Exemption for the 2023 tax year.

According to nominating petitions for 1st Congressional District candidate Josh Saul, Smalenberg used the Hillman address while his wife Lynne used the Mio address. Lynne is still registered there today, and cannot vote for her husband in August. 

 In Facebook posts, Smalenberg chronicled the construction of his Mio dream home on the Au Sable River throughout 2021 and 2022.

Smalenberg's campaign committee's street address in Hillman---a 480 square foot, 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom rustic shack that doesn't seem to have been occupied by anyone in many weeks---or more likely, MONTHS. 

The Norman Bates taxidermy collection has more signs of life than this place.

As of Tuesday June 4th, the grass was considerably longer than neighboring homes, old clumps of leaves and sticks scattered near the door looked like they've been there since at least last fall, and a broom was tipped over on the ground by a couple of faded, dirty chairs. 

The only thing visible inside when I looked in to see if the place was abandoned was a vacuum cleaner.

____________________________________________

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