Latest news with #HouseAppropriationsSubcommittee
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Michigan State Police director defends leadership amid calls for his resignation
Michigan State Police Director Col. James Grady speaks to reporters following a joint meeting of the Michigan House Oversight Committee and the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Michigan State Police. July 1, 2025 | Photo by Ben Solis/Michigan Advance Michigan State Police Director Col. James Grady said Tuesday that a no confidence vote from troopers and command officers didn't represent the full scope of his department, and that he was working to address issues of low morale that began before his time as the head of the agency. Grady's comments came during a joint hearing of the Michigan House Oversight Committee and the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Michigan State Police. Some members of the Republican-led House of Representatives and the GOP members of the Senate have called for Grady's resignation due to complaints from troopers and command officers who have claimed they are fearful of speaking up about department policies under Grady and have faced retaliation when they have. Grady said that the vote of no confidence from the Michigan State Police Troopers Association and the Michigan State Police Command Officers Association in June was not an MSP-sanctioned survey nor was it reflective of employee surveys issued by the department. Overall, Grady highlighted his years of service to the department and the discretion that comes with his position to make leadership and command changes if needed. 'I'm doing the work, representative,' Grady said in response to questions from Republican state Reps. Mike Mueller and Jay DeBoyer, the respective chairs of the joint committees. 'I'm doing everything that I can to ensure that the morale increases, because I, again, respect all of the members of our agency, and I want them to be well. I want them to be in a good place. I want them to want to come to work, because when they're in a good place, they can come and do the work effectively and efficiently every day. And that's something that I support as a leader of this department.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX That was how Grady responded to most of the questions lobbed at him from Republicans and Democrats alike on the joint panel, much of which were fastballs and somewhat critical of Grady and his handling of the department. Grady further noted multiple worksite visits, feedback missions and an open door policy as ways he was trying hard to boost morale. Grady was appointed in Sept. 2023 as director of the department by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, following the departure of former director Joseph Gasper. Over the last few years, troopers and command officers have complained that Grady was out of line when he came out with a statement that did not initially support former trooper Brian Keely when he was charged in May 2024 in the death of Samuel Sterling. The charges against Keely have since been dropped by a U.S. District Court judge, but the Michigan Department of Attorney General has said it would appeal the dismissal. Troopers and command officers also took issue with Grady promoting Chief Deputy Director Aimee Brimacombe as his second-in-command because of her alleged lack of experience and multiple complaints made against her before she was elevated several ranks. Other grievances include Grady's decision to not keep existing command or leadership staff and replacing them with a new team, which Grady said Tuesday was a means to better serve the department and bring commanders on board with unique strengths. Troopers filed an ethics complaint against Grady and Brimacombe in January. A handful of troopers also filed lawsuits against Brimacombe questioning her leadership, and questioned performance bonuses Grady and Brimacombe received after only a short time in their roles. The morass culminated in the vote of no confidence, which Grady said was a first, but later noted that similar questions have been posed to trooper and command officer unions in the past questioning the leadership of previous directors, dating back to 2018. Some have questioned whether the complaints have an undertone of racial or gender bias, seeing as troopers have in the past complained or sued over the department's diversity recruitment policies that emerged under Gasper, but before Grady's ascension to his current role. Although Grady is not the first Black officer to be promoted to colonel, some have called into question the deluge of complaints against the combo of Grady and Brimacombe as the department's leaders. That said, DeBoyer, Mueller and others noted that although they have great respect for the department and Grady's years of service in law enforcement, maybe he wasn't the right leader for the agency despite his commitment to the department and its troopers. 'I appreciate that, and I don't have any reason to believe that that is not who you are, but the results of the survey, unfortunately, and with all due respect, says otherwise,' DeBoyer said. 'You made the statement that the Michigan State Police is one of the most respected agencies in the entire country, frankly, and it has been for decades. So, when you see that level of lack of confidence, that's very concerning to us as legislators.' Mueller, a former law enforcement officer, also said that it appeared to him Grady wasn't a bad person, but sometimes good people aren't great leaders. 'It's not anything about your character at all. It's about the men and women, 98% of the men and women, that drive around those police cars [who] fear retaliation,' Mueller said. The gloves were off, however, after that first bit of cordial opening statements. DeBoyer noted that the House Oversight Committee, which he chairs, has deposed several members of Michigan State Police in the matter of his leadership and had several say that there was a culture of fear in the department for either saying the wrong things, sharing their opinions or speaking up on leadership matters. The depositions, which were not shared in full during the committee nor made public elsewhere, also showed troopers and command officers experienced retaliation for doing so, resulting in work assignment loss or other reprimands. State Rep. Jamie Greene (R-Richmond) read some of the commentary from MSP's 2024 employment engagement survey. One response noted that it was allegedly well known within the department that Grady and Brimacombe didn't take kindly to criticism on their leadership decisions, and if they do, they pay the price. 'This is incredibly disturbing,' Greene added. 'This department seems to be fostering a culture of fear and isolation, which is extremely harmful in such a high stress career.' Greene asked Grady why retaliation was the running theme in some of the responses if he was working to mend bridges and communicating with his troopers about their concerns. Grady again leaned on his commitment to hearing officers out and said again that he believed those comments did not represent that majority of the department. The director also defended Brimacombe and his decision to elevate her, noting that she has 25 years of experience with the department and a law degree. Greene asked him if she thought the results of the surveys were fabricated. Grady did not directly respond, but did say there appeared to be copycat or repeated similar responses. State Rep. Will Snyder (D-Muskegon) said it was his understanding that there were approximately 700 vacant positions within the department and that 500 of them are at the trooper level. Snyder worked that out to be a 20% vacancy rate, which he said was exceedingly high. Grady said the department had over the last 10 years hired nearly 1,000 troopers, leading the nation in hiring among state police organizations. He also noted that the department has an aggressive recruiting plan. But DeBoyer later countered by saying that morale continues to dip and then turned to question Grady about reports of doxing within the department. The names of some of the troopers and command officers who were deposed during recent closed-door hearings of the House Oversight Committee were reported by the Detroit Free Press ahead of Tuesday's hearing. DeBoyer said that revelation was appalling, and grilled Grady about how and why someone within the department who was familiar with those discussions leaked that information to the press. The chair as 'That is doxing people within your organization, people who we have asked to communicate with us in private … in fairness and openness and transparency with others members of our committee,' DeBoyer said. 'And this morning, in the media, we read three names that only your agency had. That's inexcusable. … The fact that someone in your agency would dox their own members, Colonel, that is a clear demonstration of why there's a lack of confidence in leadership at Michigan State Police, because at all costs, they will protect themselves and they will sacrifice their members.' While DeBoyer called for an investigation, Grady said he wasn't aware of that leak and would look into it. Following testimony, Grady spoke to reporters and said he thought the committee hearing was generally unfair and that he was proud of the job that he was doing. 'I'm not the type of Colonel that doesn't make himself available or accessible. I'll talk to anybody, and so I have those conversations, and they're positive,' Grady said of his outreach to troopers. 'People enjoy working for the State Police. That's why, when we do have vacancies, they don't last long. They don't remain vacant, because people apply to the positions they want to work here in this department. People want to be state troopers.'
Economic Times
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
'Don't talk to me, insult me publicly': Pam Bondi grilled, left scrambling over sketchy Qatar past
US Attorney General Pam Bondi testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Justice in Washington, D.C. where she was grilled for her sketchy past with Qatar which she did not disclose before the Senate. President Trump recently received a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar which sparked legal concerns as Bondi worked as a foreign lobbyist for the nation of Qatar. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Pam Bondi grilled over Qatar links Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Pam Bondi and Qatar jet plane link Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Attorney General Pam Bondi came under bipartisan pressure Monday from lawmakers during the House Appropriations Subcommittee when she was asked about her past work in Qatar. She was grilled while appearing for the subcommittee and was asked questions about her sketchy past about Qatar, which she didn't disclose before the the hearing, US Capitol Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) asked Bondi she had ever been registered as an agent of a foreign principal under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). "The three hallmarks of this administration are incompetence, corruption, and cruelty," Dean said."Attorney General, have you ever been registered as an agent of a foreign principal under the Foreign Agents Registration Act?"To this, Pam Bondi replied, "I assume you're talking about when I represented the country of Qatar for a very short time." Bondi said she worked on anti-human trafficking for the World Cup. "Hold on," Dean said, to which Bondi, 59, replied, "You can't put words in my mouth! You want to talk about incompetence? You're the one that said Joe Biden on PBS was competent. You had to retract those words."But the Congresswoman hit back at the Attorney General, saying, "Don't talk to me. Don't insult me publicly." She then added, "This is so discourteous. This is so outside the Committee's guidelines. Taking a personal shot at me while swiping at Biden? Very strange and very unprofessional of you."Dean continued, "The answer is yes or no, and the answer is yes. You were registered as a lobbyist for Qatar. Is that correct? Yes. Never mind, don't answer." She then asked, "Did you disclose that when you went before the Senate for confirmation? Yes or no? No, it was not in your documents. The answer is no."After Bondi said her role was "discussed," Dean accused the Attorney General of failing to bring up the "conflict" she had. The Pennsylvania politician continued, "President Trump recently announced he'd accept that $400 million Qatari airplane because it was just prettier than the one he was flying around in."Dean asked, "Is it true that you gave advise that this was legally permissible? Yes or no?" Bondi replied, "I will not discuss any advice that my office of legal counsel gives to the president of the United States on any matter."The Congresswoman continued, "When you spoke before the Senate, you said you would ask for ethical advice. Did you recuse yourself from that issue?" Bondi didn't immediately answer the question but hit back at Dean, saying, "And talking about unprofessional, you say the President wanted the jet because it's pretty? This is a Congressional hearing." Dean pointed out, "He said it himself."Pam Bondi's links to Qatar came under scrutiny again after US President Donald Trump received a luxury jet plane from the Qatar government. According to NewsWeek, Bondi worked as a foreign lobbyist for the nation of Qatar, earning $115,000 a month in the role which she held in 2020 and in the run up to the World Cup in her prior professional roles, Bondi was involved in lobbying efforts representing the interests of the State of Qatar. She worked at Ballard Partners, a prominent lobbying firm based in Washington, D.C., where her portfolio included advocacy on behalf of the Qatari government as well as several major US corporations, among them plan to receive a $400 million luxury Boeing 747-8 from Qatar unleased new waves of legal concerns over the legality and ethics of such foreign government gifts. Bondi's prior history as a lobbyist for Qatar has compounded concerns over foreign influence at the highest level of government. Her ties to Qatar raised concerns whether she will properly pursue whether the acceptance of this luxury jet is legal or Democrat senators even wrote a letter to the Department of Justice asking for an investigation into Pam Bondi's role in Trump administration's decision to accept the free gift from Qatar. The eight Democrats on the Judiciary Committee raised ethical questions over the gifted plane and expressed concern about reports that Bondi provided legal guidance that approved a plan for the plane to eventually be transferred to Trump's library after he leaves US formally accepted the gift, which industry executives estimated to be worth about $200 million. It will require extensive work before it can be considered secure enough to carry Trump.
Time of India
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Don't talk to me, insult me publicly': Pam Bondi grilled, left scrambling over sketchy Qatar past
Attorney General Pam Bondi came under bipartisan pressure Monday from lawmakers during the House Appropriations Subcommittee when she was asked about her past work in Qatar. She was grilled while appearing for the subcommittee and was asked questions about her sketchy past about Qatar, which she didn't disclose before the Senate. During the hearing, US Capitol Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) asked Bondi she had ever been registered as an agent of a foreign principal under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). "The three hallmarks of this administration are incompetence, corruption, and cruelty," Dean said. ALSO READ: Popular influencer with nearly 8 lakh Instagram followers dead post plastic surgery hours after partying with doctor Pam Bondi grilled over Qatar links "Attorney General, have you ever been registered as an agent of a foreign principal under the Foreign Agents Registration Act?" To this, Pam Bondi replied, "I assume you're talking about when I represented the country of Qatar for a very short time." Bondi said she worked on anti-human trafficking for the World Cup. "Hold on," Dean said, to which Bondi, 59, replied, "You can't put words in my mouth! You want to talk about incompetence? You're the one that said Joe Biden on PBS was competent. You had to retract those words." Live Events But the Congresswoman hit back at the Attorney General, saying, "Don't talk to me. Don't insult me publicly." She then added, "This is so discourteous. This is so outside the Committee's guidelines. Taking a personal shot at me while swiping at Biden? Very strange and very unprofessional of you." Dean continued, "The answer is yes or no, and the answer is yes. You were registered as a lobbyist for Qatar. Is that correct? Yes. Never mind, don't answer." She then asked, "Did you disclose that when you went before the Senate for confirmation? Yes or no? No, it was not in your documents. The answer is no." ALSO READ: 'They don't know what the...': Trump drops 'F bomb' as Iran-Israel ceasefire deal crumbles After Bondi said her role was "discussed," Dean accused the Attorney General of failing to bring up the "conflict" she had. The Pennsylvania politician continued, "President Trump recently announced he'd accept that $400 million Qatari airplane because it was just prettier than the one he was flying around in." Dean asked, "Is it true that you gave advise that this was legally permissible? Yes or no?" Bondi replied, "I will not discuss any advice that my office of legal counsel gives to the president of the United States on any matter." The Congresswoman continued, "When you spoke before the Senate, you said you would ask for ethical advice. Did you recuse yourself from that issue?" Bondi didn't immediately answer the question but hit back at Dean, saying, "And talking about unprofessional, you say the President wanted the jet because it's pretty? This is a Congressional hearing." Dean pointed out, "He said it himself." ALSO READ: 'If you can rent Venice...': Jeff Bezos-Lauren Sanchez's lavish wedding sparks major uproar Pam Bondi and Qatar jet plane link Pam Bondi's links to Qatar came under scrutiny again after US President Donald Trump received a luxury jet plane from the Qatar government. According to NewsWeek, Bondi worked as a foreign lobbyist for the nation of Qatar, earning $115,000 a month in the role which she held in 2020 and in the run up to the World Cup in 2022. In her prior professional roles, Bondi was involved in lobbying efforts representing the interests of the State of Qatar. She worked at Ballard Partners, a prominent lobbying firm based in Washington, D.C., where her portfolio included advocacy on behalf of the Qatari government as well as several major US corporations, among them Amazon. ALSO READ: 'God help us all': Trump's appointment of 22-year-old college grad to terrorism unit amid Iran crisis faces backlash Trump's plan to receive a $400 million luxury Boeing 747-8 from Qatar unleased new waves of legal concerns over the legality and ethics of such foreign government gifts. Bondi's prior history as a lobbyist for Qatar has compounded concerns over foreign influence at the highest level of government. Her ties to Qatar raised concerns whether she will properly pursue whether the acceptance of this luxury jet is legal or not. The Democrat senators even wrote a letter to the Department of Justice asking for an investigation into Pam Bondi's role in Trump administration's decision to accept the free gift from Qatar. The eight Democrats on the Judiciary Committee raised ethical questions over the gifted plane and expressed concern about reports that Bondi provided legal guidance that approved a plan for the plane to eventually be transferred to Trump's library after he leaves office. The US formally accepted the gift, which industry executives estimated to be worth about $200 million. It will require extensive work before it can be considered secure enough to carry Trump.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State contractors offer updates on new unemployment system following delays
Rep. Greg VanWoerkom (R-Norton Shores) raises concerns on delays in the rollout of a new state unemployment insurance system during a June 5, 2025 meeting of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government. | Kyle Davidson As state agencies collaborate with contractors to craft a replacement to Michigan's outdated unemployment insurance system, individuals overseeing the effort offered an update on their progress, with plans to begin rolling out the system before the end of the year. The subject of those enhancements to the system were up for discussion Thursday before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government. Testifying before the committee was Brett Gleason, chief of staff with the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency, who noted the current system is more than 10 years old and has placed limits on the agency's ability to adapt, support self-service, detect fraud and use data effectively. The agency selected the tech and strategy consulting firm Deloitte to lead the project in November of 2022, with the project costs estimated at $78 million, according to a report from the Detroit Free Press. Work on the project launched in May 2023, with the first component of the project expected to go live on Sept. 30, 2024. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX David Parent, a managing partner of Deloitte, told the subcommittee on Thursday that while the project had faced challenges with management, scope and technology, the service for employers is expected to launch in December with the claimant side of the program rolling out in May 2026. As of Tuesday, test cases in the new system were passing at a 97% rate, Parent said, with the part of the system set to go live in May logging an 88% pass rate, Parent said. With the project set to launch 14 months later than initially promised, members of the committee pressed Parent and members of the Unemployment Insurance Agency and the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget on why the state requested an additional $20 million for the project despite the delays. Gleason explained that the state pays roughly $2.5 million a month to maintain the old system, and that the costs for maintaining the old system had been higher than anticipated due to the project delays. As a result, the additional $20 million would be used to maintain the current system and to cover costs for independent verification and validation services on the new system. With the Unemployment Insurance Agency paying out an estimated $8.5 billion in fraudulent claims during the COVID-19 pandemic, Rep. Greg VanWoerkom (R-Norton Shores) voiced concern, saying the delays had cost the state millions and put its unemployment safety net at risk. Gleason said the state has pursued an aggressive timeline in crafting and implementing the new system, and that the project still fell within the four to six year timeline that is typical in putting new systems like this in place. Laura Clark, the chief information office for DTMB, also noted the new system was expected to save the agency $5 million annually.
E&E News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- E&E News
Dems accuse Army Corps of playing politics with funding
A Democratic lawmaker on Wednesday sparred with senior Army Corps of Engineers officials over the Trump administration's decision to shift hundreds of millions of dollars in civil works spending from Democratic-leaning states to those where President Donald Trump has widespread support. At a hearing of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water, Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.) confronted Robyn Colosimo, acting principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army for civil works, citing the corps' longstanding practice of awarding infrastructure project funding based on need and merit, not politics. 'I think all of us in this room can agree that our vital infrastructure simply should never be partisan,' Levin said at the hearing. Advertisement Then in a direct question to Colosimo, he said, 'Do you agree that the corps should not operate in a partisan manner?'
