Attorney General Dana Nessel promised not to intervene in an investigation of a friend, but documents show she did breach the firewall created to prevent conflicts.
The friend, Traci Kornak, is a personal injury lawyer and treasurer of the Michigan Democratic Party. Kornak was accused last year by the director of a west Michigan nursing home of using the account of her elderly, brain-damaged client to fraudulently bill an insurance company for nearly $50,000.
Nessel, who has cultivated an image as a protector of the vulnerable and elderly, subtly pressured her staff to close the investigation and to provide Kornak with documents that would financially benefit her.
It should be noted that Kornak worked on Nessel’s transition team in 2018 when Nessel was elected attorney general.
After the nursing home director’s accusations appeared in a Detroit News column last July, an investigation into Kornak was opened by the Attorney General’s Office.
Scott Teter, the director of the AG’s Financial Crimes Division, was so concerned about the obvious conflict of interest he drafted a memo last September informing staff that he was constructing an ethical firewall to distance Nessel from the investigation.
After the nursing home director’s accusations appeared in a Detroit News column last July, an investigation into Kornak was opened by the Attorney General’s Office.
Scott Teter, the director of the AG’s Financial Crimes Division, was so concerned about the obvious conflict of interest he drafted a memo last September informing staff that he was constructing an ethical firewall to distance Nessel from the investigation.
He went on: “I am asking for a conflict wall to be established preventing Attorney General Nessel from being provided or accessing any information related to this investigation.”
The ethical wall was constructed. But Nessel barreled through it anyway, according to her own emails obtained in a Freedom of Information Act request.
On Dec. 5, Nessel’s chief investigator disregarded the ethics firewall, and sent Nessel four reports regarding the Kornak investigation.
On Dec. 6, Nessel forwarded those reports to Fadwa Hammoud, her solicitor general.
“Ms. Kornak has contacted me regarding this matter,” wrote Nessel. “Mr. [redacted]’s allegations are apparently holding up a potential judicial appointment for her in Kent County. She has requested the documents from our investigation.”
Nessel continued: “I think (she) wants to be able to assert that the claims made by [redacted] were never substantiated by our investigation and the case is closed. Please advise what our process should be. There is some urgency to the matter in that she needs to supply this information by the week’s end.”
On Dec. 6, Nessel forwarded those reports to Fadwa Hammoud, her solicitor general.
“Ms. Kornak has contacted me regarding this matter,” wrote Nessel. “Mr. [redacted]’s allegations are apparently holding up a potential judicial appointment for her in Kent County. She has requested the documents from our investigation.”
Nessel continued: “I think (she) wants to be able to assert that the claims made by [redacted] were never substantiated by our investigation and the case is closed. Please advise what our process should be. There is some urgency to the matter in that she needs to supply this information by the week’s end.”
As for Kornak, her troubles continue. Law enforcement officials in Grand Rapids confirmed to me they are conducting an ongoing investigation into Kornak’s financial dealings with at least one elderly client.
