Tyranny and 'dark money' in the Michigan Supreme Court? Former justice writes a book
The intrigue includes untraceable “dark money,” abuse of power, and a secret club holding sway over ordinary citizens.
It’s not a plot in a new crime novel, however. It’s a book about the Michigan Supreme Court, written by one of its controversial former members, the Traverse City Record-Eagle reports. Former Michigan Chief Justice Elizabeth Weaver sets out to show the corrupting influence of secret campaign contributions in the book titled Judicial Deceit: Tyranny and Unnecessary Secrecy at the Michigan Supreme Court.
“I have a duty to the public that needs to know,” she told the newspaper. The story was noted by the Associated Press and Justice at Stake’s Gavel Grab blog.
Weaver alleges that the court often rules on behalf of special interest groups whose “dark money” campaign contributions can’t be traced, the newspaper reports. She says $18.6 million was spent in the last election for the Michigan Supreme Court, and about two-thirds or three-fourths was dark money.
Weaver claims the book is filled with examples of deceit, abuse of power, and treatment of those “who have the nerve to stand up.” She herself clashed with her judicial colleagues. In November 2010, five of the court’s seven justices censured Weaver for secretly taping internal deliberations in an effort to prove a onetime colleague running for re-election had used the N-word. Weaver had resigned from the court three months before, ending nearly 16 years of service. She served as the court’s chief justice for two of those years.
The book, co-authored by David Schock, is scheduled for release May 15, according to a press release.
