American Bridge sent possible FBI suspect Bill Schuette a $456,400 invoice today for wages he has collected for work he didn’t do. In the Republican primary, Schuette ran television ads criticizing his opponent for collecting a taxpayer funded salary while pursuing a Harvard degree. But an analysis reveals that Schuette’s charges were stunningly hypocritical given his own record of collecting tax dollars for work he did not appear to do.
As Michigan’s current Attorney General, Schuette receives an annual salary of $112,410. Between January 1, 2011, and July 5, 2018, Schuette would have been expected to have made $844,460.90 for his salary as Attorney General. According to an analysis by Michigan’s Republican Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley, of the 1,950 work days since Schuette took office, his calendar reveals 1,054 lax work days where either no items were listed on Schuette’s public calendar or only a handful of meetings/interviews/phone calls were listed. According to American Bridge calculations, this accounts to $456,400 in wages Schuette has collected from taxpayers for work he did not do.
“Bill Schuette has ripped off Michigan taxpayers long enough,” said American Bridge spokesperson Zach Hudson. “It’s become clear over the last several months that Bill Schuette has spent his time as Attorney General abusing his office to advance his own business and political interests instead of serving the people of Michigan. Bill Schuette has not done his job, and it’s time for Michigan families to stop footing the bill.”
The money should be paid to the Michigan Department of Treasury within 30 days. A copy of the invoice sent to the Schuette campaign is below, along with American Bridge’s methodology for determining the wages Schuette owes Michigan taxpayers.
INVOICE
Bill to:
Bill Schuette for Governor Campaign
PO Box 12307
Lansing, MI 48901
Description
Wages collected for:
Not showing up to work;
Using Government working hours & employees to advance
personal business interests;
Using Government working hours & employees to advance
partisan political interests;
Using government office space to discuss partisan campaign
speeches
Payment Information
Please make check payable to:
Michigan Department of Treasury
Lansing, Michigan 48922
Methodology:
As Attorney General, Schuette Received An Annual Salary Of $112,410. According to Oakland Press, “Schuette‘s eight years in the Michigan Senate nets him $3,269.79 a month — or $39,237.48 a year, according to a Freedom of Information request filed with the Michigan Legislative Retirement System. That’s on top of his $112,410 salary as Michigan’s attorney general.” [Oakland Press, 9/1/13]
- 2017: Mlive Reported The current Attorney General Salary Was $112,410. According to MLive, “Seven years after a 10 percent salary cut and a wage freeze since, Michigan should restore its pay for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and secretary of state to the 2010 level, the Michigan State Officers Compensation Commission agreed Friday morning.[…] If approved, pay increases would be: Governor, from $159,300 to $177,600; Lieutenant governor, from $111,510 to $123,900; Attorney general and secretary of state, from $112,410 to $124,900; Supreme Court justices, from $164,610 to $181,071. The governor and lieutenant governor also would see a 10 percent increase in their expense accounts. The governor’s account would increase from $54,000 to $60,000, and the lieutenant governor’s from $18,000 to $20,000.” [MLive, 5/19/17]
Between January 1, 2011 – July 6, 2018 Bill Schuette Would Have Been Expected To Have Made $844,460.90 For His Role As Michigan’s Attorney General. $112,410.00*7 Years = $786,870. July 6, 2018 was the 187th day of 2018, which can be represented by the fraction 187/365 = .512329. Schuette’s expected prorated salary for 2018 through July 6 would accordingly be $112,410*.512329 = $57,590.90. Schuette’s 7 annual salaries added to his prorated 2018 salary would equate to $786,870+$57,590.90 = $844,460.90.
Calley’s Campaign: Of The Approximately 1,950 Work Days Since Schuette Entered Office, “Schuette’s Calendar Reveals 1,054 Lax Work Days […] For Which There Are Either No Items On His Public Calendar Or A Very Small Number Of Meetings/Interviews/Phone Calls/Etc.” According to Calley’s Schuette Off Duty site, “Additionally, Schuette’s calendar reveals 1,054 lax work days—not including weekends or holidays—since 2011 for which there are either no items on his public calendar or a very small number of meetings/interviews/phone calls/etc. That’s over half the work days during which he’s been Attorney General. As part of the review, days with more than a couple of entries or that had at least 60-90 minutes worth of scheduled official activities are not counted in the tally of 1,054 lax work days. There have only been approximately 1,950 working days since Schuette became Attorney General.” [BillSchuetteOffDuty.com, Accessed 7/31/18]
Schuette Received $456,400 From The State Of Michigan For His Role As Attorney General During “Lax Work Days.” Schuette’s “lax work days” represented 1,054/1,950 or 54.05128% of the approximate total of working days since Schuette became Michigan’s Attorney General.Schuette’s total Attorney General salary multiplied by .5405128 therefore represents the moneySchuette has received from the State of Michigan for his role as Attorney General on “lax work days.” This value equals $844,460.90*.5405128 = $456,400.
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Published: Aug 8, 2018