Former Michigan attorneys general warn against 'weaponization' of attorney general's office

The Oversight Subcommittee on Weaponization of State Government convened and heard testimony from two former Michigan attorneys general who urged safeguards to prevent politicized use of the attorney general's office.

Former Attorney General Bill Schuette (2011–2019) and former Attorney General Mike Cox (2003–2011) told committee members the office must prioritize public safety and enforce the Michigan and U.S. constitutions rather than advance partisan aims. "The first responsibility of the attorney general is public safety," Schuette said. Cox added that the office must "take the state laws of constitution as it's written."

Why it matters: Committee members framed the hearing around concern that prosecutorial or civil actions by the attorney general can be used as political tools. Lawmakers pressed the witnesses on high-profile recent matters — including criminal prosecutions connected to the Flint water crisis and the prosecution of 16 alternate electors after the 2020 presidential election — and on transparency about costs and staffing.

Schuette and Cox described how the attorney general's office typically operates and what institutional checks they relied on while in office. Cox said most of the office's roughly "300 plus lawyers" function like corporate counsel for state government…