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An eight-time felon has a chance of becoming the new commissioner representing District 1 (which includes parts of Detroit's east side, Harper Woods and Grosse Pointes), according to the Detroit Free Press.
Longtime Wayne County Commissioner Tim Killeen (D-Detroit), is trying to stay on the ballot for the upcoming August primary elections after the Wayne County Clerk found his overdue campaign finance reports from almost a decade ago made him ineligible. If Killeen is removed from the running, there will be one lone choice in the Democratic primary for the spot: Rep. Brian Banks.
Banks has a criminal history with eight felony convictions for a series of financial crimes, including credit card fraud and writing bad checks between 1998 and 2004. He was first elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2012. He stepped down from the state legislature in 2017 after pleading guilty to falsifying documents to obtain a $3,000 loan from a Detroit-area credit union, which is a misdemeanor.
“I believe it's time for some new, bold (and) fresh leadership. I, along with other candidates, have to follow Michigan campaign finance laws and I respect the decision of the Wayne County Clerk's office,” Banks said.
Felony convictions while in elected office can also result in a candidate being removed from a ballot.