Former Michigan House speaker’s aide charged with embezzlement in $25M earmark case

Nessel charges politically connected former legislative staffer with corruption - WDET 101.9 FM

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said Thursday she does not expect to file any more charges after alleging a former top House staffer siphoned off money for his own use from funds earmarked for a $25 million health facility project in Clare. The charges allege David Coker, who was an aide to then-House Speaker Jason Wentworth, spent $820,000 that was supposed to be used for the project to, instead, buy coins, gold bars and firearm accessori…

Nessel: ‘Grave concerns,’ but no more charges in $25M Michigan earmark probe

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel says corruption charges against a former legislative staffer show the need for guardrails to “prevent fraudsters from stealing our hard working tax dollars.”

Nessel clears lawmakers linked to Clare health park, charges ex-House aide

Attorney General Dana Nessel said it "looks bad" for an aide to ex-House Speaker Jason Wentworth to be profiting from an earmark he secured.

Attorney general raids mid-Michigan home of former House speaker aide

A onetime aide for a former Michigan Speaker of the House was charged Wednesday with a host of felonies related to a lengthy investigation into a stalled health park north of Clare. David Coker Jr., who is currently the director of the Clare Area Chamber of Commerce, is charged with acquiring/maintaining a criminal enterprise; three counts of false pretenses $100,000 or more; two counts of embezzlement of $100,000 or more; and safe keeping of pu…

Elderly abbot accused of B300m embezzlement

A 70-year-old abbot accused of embezzling 300 million baht from a famous Buddhist temple and using it for gambling turned himself in to police in Bangkok on Thursday, just as they were about to seek a warrant for his arrest.

Former Michigan House speaker’s aide charged with embezzlement in $25M earmark case

A former legislative aide of prior Republican House Speaker Jason Wentworth is facing seven felony charges as part of an alleged earmark scandal.