Lodi Twp. Supervisor Jan Godek Seen Destroying Public Record at Direction of Saline Mayor Brian Marl

by P.D. Lesko

On June 4, The Saline Post reported that in relation to Saline Mayor Brian Marl’s alleged behind-the-scenes lobbying to have Saline Fire Chief Sperle fired by the members of the Saline Area Fire Board, Marl created and hand-delivered a written communication to the Lodi Supervisor Jan Godek whom he told to shred the document after reading it. Godek is a member of the Saline Area Fire Board. Despite the fact that Godek denied receiving any document from Marl, and that Marl denied hand-delivering any document to Godek, The Ann Arbor Independent has confirmed that Marl hand-delivered a document to Godek and that she did, indeed, read and then shred a public record at Marl’s direction in order to hide their communications.

Godek, in shredding the written communication from Marl at his request, and Marl in requesting she destroy a public record, could both be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in the state prison not more than 2 years or by a fine of not more than $1,000.00.

The Saline Post used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain the communication between Marl and Godek. Lodi Twp.’s FOIA officer Christina Smith confirmed to The Saline Post owner and reporter Tran Longmore she could, “not provide the document” and that Godek had shredded the document given to her while in the course of her job as a public official in a public building.

“The requested material was shredded per direction of Mayor Marl after being read by Supervisor Godek, the envelope was addressed to Supervisor Godek, and marked confidential. Jan told me she read and then shredded the letter. I have no further information to supply to you,” Lodi Twp. Clerk Christina Smith told The Saline Post.

Supervisor Godek, when asked, told The Saline Post she was “unaware of any document” being given to her by Marl, but a Lodi Twp. employee who witnessed Marl’s delivery of the communication, heard his instruction to destroy it and who saw Godek shred the document said in a June 7, 2024 interview with The Ann Arbor Independent, “We all work in the same area; we don’t have cubicles. I saw Marl come in. I was in the room when he handed Jan [Godek] the document and I heard him tell her to shred it after reading it.”

The Saline Post reported that Lodi Twp. Clerk Christina Smith said she saw the envelope and saw that it was marked confidential. In speaking to The A2Indy, a Lodi Twp. employee said they were in the room shared by all Lodi Twp. officials when they saw Marl enter the building, go up to Jan Godek and hand her an envelope. The employee said they did not see anything written on the envelope.

“It could have been anything,” said the employee. “I wish I knew what it was that Jan shredded.”

When reached by phone and asked if she found the request from one elected official to another to “shred a public record” unusual, Clerk Christina Smith said, “I agree. It was unusual, and let’s get one thing straight: I’m not going to lie for anyone.”

Smith, a long-time resident of Lodi Twp. comes from a generations-old farming family. She is running for re-election, opposed by Eric John Roberts (formerly Szczepaniak). Roberts recently moved to Lodi Twp., from the western part of Michigan. His personal website says he owns two businesses one of which is a licensed online gambling operation: “Eric John Roberts, MMC, is a licensed supplier of Millionaire Party events through the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB), an agency of the State of Michigan.”

Brian Marl reportedly told The Saline Post in an audiotaped conversation that any suggestion he gave Godek a document and told her to shred it was “salacious.”

At the most recent Saline City Council meeting, Marl continued to complain about The Saline Post’s reporting that he had lobbied to get the Fire Chief fired. Marl then publicly doubled down on his lie that he had never given Godek a document and told her to destroy it after reading.

“There have been statements made online which are not factual, scurrilous and potentially libel,” Marl said. “I don’t think it’s appropriate to base opinion, on conjecture, rumor, hearsay or anonymous sources.”

On June 5, in a comment in response to The Saline Post’s article about the Godek incident, Mayor Marl wrote, “For the third time now, this ‘mystery packet’ with Lodi, that’s nonsense….instead of facts driving a story, the author has concocted several false narratives, and is now on a fishing expedition to corroborate his ridiculous claims. Again, let him provide some actual evidence to substantiate these assertions.”

Mayor Marl, when reached by phone said about his written communication to Godek, his direction that she destroy a public record, and her destruction of that document by shredding began by disparaging The Saline Post. He went on to once again lie about his part in the destruction of a public record: “That particular assertion is nonsense, rumor-mongering and speculation. The burden is on the accuser to provide any evidence. That allegation is salacious and untrue.”

The Ann Arbor Independent used FOIA to request a copy of the document Marl gave to Godek, which he asked her to destroy after reading and that she did shred. The Ann Arbor Independent also used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain any electronic communications, including emails and texts, between Marl and Godek in the month of June.

The Saline Post founder and editor Tran Langmore did not file a complaint with the State of Michigan with his evidence of the destruction of the public record. If a copy of the public record is not produced in response to the A2Indy’s FOIA, The Ann Arbor Independent will use its FOIA Fund to file a complaint with the State Attorney General’s office against both Godek and Marl.