First it was Michigan State Treasurer Andy Dillon. Then it was Education Achievement Authority John Covington. Now a third Snyder administration official is resigning in disgrace.
This time it’s Scott Woosley, head of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority after revelations of misuse of tax dollars for extravagant travel and dining expenses on the public’s dime. This afternoon, MSHDA official confirmed Woosley’s resignation.
As of yesterday night, Woosley was still defending his actions, essentially telling his critics to “bring it on” and asking the state Treasurey Department to audit him. These are the same state officials who approved Woosley’s outrageous expense reimbursments in the first place, leading MDP Chair Lon Johnson to say, “The fact that Woosley wants the same scandal-ridden Snyder treasury department that previously approved his obscene travel reimbursements to now play the role of fox in reviewing Woosley’s hen house spending might be a joke if we weren’t talking about an extraordinary amount of waste and abuse of public funds.”
Today, after calls by Progress Michigan and the Michigan Democratic Party for Gov. Snyder to fire the MSHDA chief, Woosley fell on his own sword.
The repeated examples of waste and corruption in the Snyder administration has the MDP’s Johnson calling for a wider investigation.
“This is now the third instance of a top Snyder Administration official resigning amid scandal over abusing public funds,” Johnson said in a statement. “Governor Snyder has created a culture that turns a blind eye to the misuse of public funds and the public trust. Snyder must be held accountable for these repeated, systematic abuses, and that’s why we’re demanding a comprehensive, independent audit of departments within the administration.”
Progress Michigan is also calling for a full investigation.
“Governor Snyder must ensure that Woosley doesn’t just cut and run after spending public funds so he could live the high-life and he should do the same for other high-ranking officials for whom he has oversight,” said Hugh Madden, communications director for Progress Michigan. “Cronyism and abuse of taxpayer dollars from senior-level officials has been commonplace in the Snyder administration and it needs to end.”
Hopefully it will end on November 4th when Rick Snyder is fired by Michigan voters who are sick and tired of cronyism, corruption, and scandal in the Executive branch of their state government.
UPDATE: Democratic House Leader Tim Greimel is joining the call for a wider investigation:
Amid allegations that he used taxpayer funds to reimburse himself for lavish travel and food items during his tenure, Scott Woosley has resigned. I believe that was the appropriate action to take. However, this must not end here. I renew my call for the State Auditor General to immediately conduct a thorough investigation into travel and other spending at MSHDA, the Department of Treasury and throughout the Snyder Administration. What about the person in the department who granted his reimbursements? Are there other departments within state government who have similar problems? The high-flying lifestyle being maintained by top state officials is part of a pattern of abuse within Gov. Snyder’s administration of lavishing favors and special benefits on political friends, family and people at the top.
[CC Snyder photo credit: Michigan Municipal League | Flickr]
