ICYMI: Michigan Republican Oversight Committee Members Have Long History of Financial Mismanagement and Extremism

Despite their claims to bring fiscal responsibility to Michigan, these Republican state Representative can’t even seem to manage their own finances, much less the entire state’s

LANSING — In case you missed it, The Heartland Signal exposed Michigan Republican Oversight Committee members’ troubling histories of financial troubles and extremist politics. MAGA Matt Hall appointed these representatives, promising to bring sensibility and fiscal responsibility to Lansing — yet these members seem to be unable to even do that in their own lives, so why would we trust them to do it across Michigan?

Committee Chair and state Rep. Jay DeBoyer has declared bankruptcy with nearly half a million in debt, received an eviction notice, and forfeited land for failing to pay property taxes. But, he’s not alone, because MIGOP state Reps. Angela Rigas and Jason Woolford have also declared bankruptcy — not exactly the bastions of fiscal responsibility Michiganders hoped for. 

While their finances are a mess, their politics are even worse, with Rep. Josh Schriver supporting making gay marriage illegal again, supporting child marriage, and spreading antisemitic and racist conspiracy theories on social media. These irresponsible extremists should be nowhere near Michigan’s finances, and they surely shouldn’t be looked to for reason and sanity. 

Read more about their shocking histories below: 

Heartland Signal: Republican members of Michigan House committee preach fiscal responsibility despite their own multiple bankruptcies

• Michigan’s House Oversight Committee was created by Republicans who are promising to return sanity and fiscal responsibility to the state. But multiple members boast a history of bankruptcy and extreme positions on governance…
  
  
• According to Public Access to Court Electronic Records, DeBoyer declared bankruptcy in 2010 with $480,000 in debt and $91,390 in total assets…
  
  
• While declaring bankruptcy, DeBoyer revealed that his boat had been repossessed and that he had been sued by Chase Bank over a contract dispute. In 2010, the Federal National Mortgage Association sued to evict DeBoyer from his property, and a court later ordered an eviction notice. DeBoyer also forfeited land in St. Clair County after failing to pay his 2008 property taxes…
  
  
• In addition to DeBoyer, two other Republicans on the Oversight committee have filed bankruptcy in the past, including Reps. Angela Rigas (R-Caledonia) and Jason Woolford (R-Howell)…
  
  
• Several members of the Oversight committee also have a past of brushing up against extremism. Last year, DeBoyer spoke at a gun rally in Lansing alongside Michigan Liberty Militia founder William Null. Null was criminally charged and later acquitted for his connections in the plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D).
  
  
• Rep. Josh Schriver (R-Oxford) has taken a series of controversial stances in his two years as a legislator, including making gay marriage illegal again, opposing a ban on child marriage and spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories on social media. 
  
  
• Schriver also advocated for Jan. 6 participants to be pardoned and opposed ending a marital rape loophole.