Updated: County Clerk Refers Sheriff Candidate’s Campaign Committee to Michigan AG for Prosecution

Update: Derrick Jackson’s campaign submitted the required statement Feb. 17, 2023. The Clerk’s office posted the amended statement Feb. 22. There will be no fine assessed for the amended campaign finance report. The article is updated to reflect the totals from the amended filing.

by P.D. Lesko

On Feb. 14, 2023, Washtenaw County Clerk Lawrence Kestenbaum sent a letter to Michigan AG Dana Nessel reporting Derrick Jackson’s campaign committee for campaign finance violations.

Jackson announced his campaign for Sheriff in 2022 and he neglected to file his 2022 Annual Statement—Amended by the filing date, Feb. 13, 2023. In the short time since Jackson organized his campaign committee, he has twice run afoul of campaign finance law. The position Jackson seeks is one that controls an over $52 million annual budget, including over $21 million to operate the County Jail. Jackson was apprised of an error or omission in his filing by Kestenbaum on Jan. 31, 2023. Lawrence Kestenbaum is one of Jackson’s endorsers; Jackson worked in the Elections Division of Kestenbaum’s office.

In his letter to Attorney General Dana Nessel Larry Kestenbaum wrote, “In accordance with the provisions of Act 388 of the Public Acts of 1976, as amended, you are hereby notified of the names of candidates and other committees who have failed to file statements, reports and/or corrections as required by law:

ELECT DERRICK JACKSON SHERIFF
P.O. BOX 972111
YPSILANTI, MI 48197″

Jackson’s 2022 Annual Statement was turned in Jan. 31, 2023 and signed by both Jackson and his Treasurer, Tyruse E. Walls, an Ypsilanti resident. The statement contained an error related to loans the candidate made to his campaign.

Jackson reported taking in $23,415 as per the amended statement submitted Feb. 17, 2023. His campaign reported spending $6,141.49 as per the amended statement, about half of that money was spent on Jeremy Glick. Glick works as the Legislative Director to State Representative Laurie Pohutsky (D-Livonia). The amended statement shows Jackson loaned his campaign $5,527.87 or 23.6 percent of his total reported.

Alyshia Dyer is also running for Sheriff. Her 2022 Annual Statement was turned in on time and contained no errors or omissions, though she did amend the statement to reflect additional money she’d loaned her campaign. According to Dyer’s 2022 annual campaign finance filing, she took in $29,054. Of that amount, Dyer loaned herself $866.00, or 3 percent of the total reported.

Dyer’s campaign, when asked for a comment, didn’t immediately respond.

In a surprise to political insiders, Dyer out-fundraised Jackson, despite Jackson’s endorsement by Sheriff Jerry Clayton, as well as endorsements from a variety of local Democrats, including current Washtenaw County Commissioners.

Both candidates held campaign launch parties. Jackson’s “soft launch” lost money. He raised $2,150, but spent $2,172 on the event. Meanwhile, Dyer’s campaign kickoff grossed $8,988.

Nessel tightened campaign finance laws forcing recalcitrant candidates to pay larger fines.

The Ann Arbor Independent reached out to Jackson’s campaign Treasurer Tyruse E. Walls for a comment. Walls has not yet responded.

Ken Magee is running for Sheriff for the second time. His 2022 Annual Statement filed on time shows he owes his campaign $7,500 in money he loaned himself, and hasn’t begun to fundraise.

“Wow. This is just one of a continued series of gaffes showing Derrick Jackson’s inexperience in finance, and executive leadership,” said Magee. “It’s not like the Clerk’s office doesn’t keep you up to date on when these documents are due. They send out reminders all the time.”