''If Dear Leader does it....why shouldn't we.'' they said.
Conservative Michigan Republicans who gave themselves bonuses out of COVID funds now forced to return it
Among the many that were allowed to use COVID-19 funds without much oversight was
a conservative Michigan town where county commissioners used the allotted money to pay themselves bonuses.
According to The Guardian, called out Shiawassee County commissioners were told by prosecutors that the payments were illegal and that they had to be paid back.
The Argus Press reported the incident to the local community, explaining that the Michigan state constitution doesn't allow such compensation "after services had already been rendered," prosecutor Scott Koerner explained.
It was July 15 when commissioners voted 6 to 0 to give themselves all $65,000 out of the $557,000 they voted to give to 250 county staffers as "hazard pay" during the COVID disaster.
"The smallest amounts for recipients were $1,000 to $2,000. But the chairman of the county board, Jeremy Root, got $25,000. Two commissioners received $10,000 each, while four received $5,000 each," said the report.