Fake GOP Candidate for Michigan Supreme Court Violated Judicial Code of Ethics

From Michigan Democratic Party:

Michigan Democratic Party Files Complaint Alleging Unethical Conduct by Mindy Barry

LANSING – The Michigan Democratic Party today filed a complaint with the Judicial Tenure Commission over the unethical campaign conduct of fake GOP Supreme Court candidate Mindy Barry, who is currently serving as her campaign’s treasurer despite a prohibition against judicial candidates doing so in Michigan.

“Fake GOP candidate Mindy Barry violated the Code of Judicial Conduct on the very first day of her candidacy,” said Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer. “Not only is she a fake candidate, but an unethical and incompetent one as well, given that she can’t follow well-established ethical requirements.”

In order to prevent judicial candidates from engaging in inappropriate political activity, Canon 7 of the Michigan Code of Judicial Conduct forbids judicial candidates from personally soliciting or accepting campaign funds, a prohibition that has been interpreted to include serving as a campaign committee’s treasurer (see, for example, JI-14, 1989).

Barry, a longtime GOP voter, activist, and donor, and former law clerk to Republican Chief Justice Robert Young Jr., was nominated by the Taxpayer Party as its first-ever Supreme Court candidate.

“Not since Speaker Bolger and Roy Schmidt left an incriminating trail of text messages about their election fraud scheme have we seen such bungling by a fake GOP candidate,” said Brewer. “Maybe she should enroll in an ethics class at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, where she teaches.”

MDP: Justices Should Disclose What They Know About Fake Supreme Court Candidate

From Michigan Democratic Party:

Detroit Free Press Reveals Mindy Barry, “Taxpayer Party” Candidate, as Longtime GOP Activist Who Clerked for Chief Justice Young

LANSING – Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer has requested that Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Young Jr., Justice Stephen Markman and Justice Brian Zahra provide full disclosure about their knowledge and involvement in the candidacy of Taxpayer Party Supreme Court candidate Mindy Barry, a longtime Republican activist, donor and voter that formerly clerked for Young, according to a recent report by the Detroit Free Press.

“Public confidence in elected officials has been severely shaken by the criminal petition fraud scandal surrounding now former Congressman Thad McCotter and the election-rigging scheme of House Speaker Bolger,” said Brewer in a letter to Young, Markman and Zahra. “Barry’s candidacy appears to be another GOP sham intended to deceive voters.”

Barry, who formed her committee the day before the Taxpayer Party’s convention, is its first and only Supreme Court candidate in that party’s history. Barry has indicated she intends to raise and spend less than $1,000. However, Barry is no political neophyte, having worked as a Republican staffer in Congress for several years, donated to Republican Clark Durant, voted in Republican presidential primaries and worked for Young.

“Barry is running as a sham candidate simply to draw votes away from the other female candidates in the race,” Brewer said. “She’s a longtime GOP political operative who isn’t making any effort — other than getting her name on the ballot — to win votes. Young, Markman and Zahra owe the voters full disclosure of their role in her candidacy.”