Legal Dispute Leads To Bench Warrant For Michigan Lawmaker
LANSING (WWJ/AP) - A legal dispute in a Chicago courtroom over an unpaid political fundraising bill has led to a bench warrant being issued for the arrest of Michigan state Sen. Bert Johnson.
Cook Court Circuit Court Judge Alexander P. White issued a contempt of court order Wednesday against the Democrat from Highland Park with a $25,000 bond requirement if the lawmaker is arrested, The Detroit News reported.
Christopher Hales, an attorney for Chicago-based Paladin Political Group, sought the order after Johnson failed to submit documentation about his ability to pay a nearly $22,000 judgment related to a 2013 congressional campaign that never materialized.
Johnson said he's disputing the amount owed. His lawyer, Amir Makled, said the contempt order was improper and payment should be pursued through a Michigan court.
"Apparently they're filing documents without our knowledge in Cook County," Makled told the newspaper. "We had no idea that these proceedings were going on."
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