Gov Whitmer's Pal Procrastinatingly Prosecuted

As a Michigan Democrat, you can steal from the state, but you're not supposed to be overly blatant about it, or even worse, show highly conspicuous and gauche taste in doing so.

I mean, for Democrats, it's one thing to steal $20 million from the state as a non-profit, but to spend $4,500 of it on a coffee maker and $40,000 for personal furniture? How very déclassée! 

The facts have been known for over two years now, but only now is Fay Beydoun, a prominent Democrat and Governor Whitmer's friend and fundraiser, to whom the governor steered the grant,  getting prosecuted.

Michigan Department of Atotrney General: AG Nessel Charges Fay Beydoun with 16 Felonies for Stealing Global Link International Grant Funding

The Detroit News: Fay Beydoun hit with 16 criminal charges in $20M earmark scandal

The two year delay likely was done to further protect Whitmer from her role in arranging for the $20 million grant, and there are some cracks in the current Michigan Democratic coalition between the progressive-Islamic and the left-but-sane factions that are allowing some of this to bubble up.  

Given how the Beydouns are a clan with ties and sympathies with Hezbollah, it'll be an interesting question as to how much of the stolen money went back to Lebanon or was used for propaganda purposes here in addition to Democrat graft.

Interesting political times for Democrats in Michigan.

No, You Can't Trademark Michigan's Highway Signs

In Attorney General Opinion 7265 just emailed out today, Attorney General Bill Schuette states in his opinion that State Highway markers, being part of the public domain cannot be trademarked by companies or individuals to prevent their use by others to identify goods or services.

Because the State of Michigan, the creator of the design, placed the Michigan highway route marker design in the public domain, no entity can lawfully obtain intellectual property protection of the design under trademark or copyright law
.....
The corporations may continue to utilize the Michigan highway route marker design alone or incorporate it within another design. But they must “disclaim” any right or interest in intellectual property that does not belong to them. 15 USC 1056(a) (“The Director may require the applicant to disclaim an unregistrable component of a mark otherwise registrable. An applicant may voluntarily disclaim a component of a mark sought to be registered”). Any other individual or company is also free to use the design to promote commercial goods and services. In other words, the corporations may not exclude other persons and businesses from using the Michigan highway route marker design on the basis of trademark law because a design in the public domain generally cannot be made the subject of a trademark or other protection.

As such, cease and desist letters from companies claiming exclusive rights in Michigan highway signs can be safely ignored, and everyone is free to use the signs provided they do not claim ownership of the sign elements in their works.

This was a very thorough and well-written opinion (12 page with 10 pages of attachments), as we've come to expect from AG Schuette and his staff, and a needed corrective to the overreaching on the part of some companies.

Michigan AG Backs Second Amendment Incorporation

I'm pleased to note that Michigan's Attotrney General Mike Cox is once agains doing right by the gun owning residents of this state.

Michigan AG Mike Cox backs NRA efforts to overturn Chicago handgun ban

Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox today threw his support behind the National Rifle Association's challenge of a City of Chicago ordinance banning possession of most handguns by filing a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court.

Cox's amicus brief -- a document filed in court by someone not directly related to a case -- supports the request by the NRA to the Supreme Court for an appeal of the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals' decision in June favoring the City of Chicago.

At least 33 other states support the NRA's request for the court to hear an appeal in National Rifle Association v. City of Chicago.

"The right to keep and bear arms is fundamental," said Cox, a Republican candidate for governor, in a press release. "The Supreme Court recognized this in the Heller case, and I am confident they will protect this right yet again. No government should impinge on the basic right to defend yourself."

Thank you, and nicely done.

Opinion on the Obvious: No More Licenses for Illegals in Michigan

Mike Cox, the excellent Attorney General for Michigan, has just issued an Opinion that would seem blatantly obvious and amazing that it wasn't the law before: -- Opinion #7210 Illegal Aliens cannot get Driver's Licenses in Michigan.

Prior to this ruling, Michigan was one of eight states that let illegals get licenses. Given the Motor Voter Act, and how the license is the gateway identification card for just bout everything a driver's license is a short step to let an illegal vote, get on a plane, get inside a federal building, and various other security holes.

About time someone concluded the obvious. Its amazing it took this opinion to stop Michigan from doing what it never should have done in the first place.