Lawyers are asking the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission to investigate Macomb County Prosecutor Pete Lucido, alleging his investigation into Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and her nursing home policy is politically-motivated.
Related: Law professor weighs in on if Lucido's investigation into nursing home deaths would hold up
The letter was signed by three lawyers: Richard Painter, who was an associate counsel to President George W. Bush in the White House Counsel's office from 2005-2007, Claire Finkelstein, who founded the University of Pennsylvania Law's Center for Ethics and Rule of Law, and Larry Dubin, a law professor at the University of Detroit Mercy who previously served on the AGC.
In the 17-page letter, the lawyers say Lucido used "his newly elected office to pursue a politically-motivated investigation against the Governor of Michigan to advance his own partisan political interests."
The lawyers wrote that they have concerns with his behavior regarding the legal profession, and also mention Lucido's past as a state senator where he alleged that Whitmer was responsible for COVID-19-related nursing home deaths.
They say that Lucido should have recused himself from any criminal matter, based on the Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct.
It comes after Lucido said he would investigate nursing home deaths in Michigan and that criminal charges were possible against Whitmer.
Lucido said he would review the deaths related to coronavirus, questioning whether Whitmer's plan to transfer recovering patients into facilities led other patients to become infected with the virus.
The commission is the investigative and prosecutorial arm of the Michigan Supreme Court which looks at allegations of attorney misconduct, according to its website. It has jurisdiction over all attorneys licensed to practice by the Michigan Bar.
We have reached out to Lucido's office for a statement.
You can read the entire letter below.
Lucido Attorney Grievance Complaint by WXYZ-TV Channel 7 Detroit on Scribd
