MI-GOV: Michigan Dems call out potential ethics violation at John James event
Washington — An activist for the Michigan Democratic Party filed an ethics complaint Friday against Michigan gubernatorial candidate and U.S. Rep. John James, R-Shelby Township, over the purported misuse of congressional resources.
The complaint alleged that James used taxpayer resources from his U.S. House office at a Wednesday event where at least one staffer and several printed signs also promoted the Republican lawmaker's run for governor of Michigan.
"His actions both mistreat taxpayers by misusing their hard-earned money for the private benefit of James’s campaign — and undermine our democracy by abusing the power of the United States Congress to influence a state election," Joel Rutherford wrote in a complaint filed to the U.S. House Committee on Ethics.
Rutherford previously served as the Michigan Democratic Party's chairperson for the 10th Congressional District, which James represents. The suburban Detroit district covers southern Macomb County and Rochester and Rochester Hills in Oakland County. James will eventually vacate the seat at the end of 2026, as he cannot run for both offices simultaneously.
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2025/08/22/michigan-dems-call-out-potential-ethics-violation-at-john-james-event-governor-republican/85778237007/