LANSING (WWJ) - Michigan's Attorney General Dana Nessel has clapped back at critics who raised questions over her luxury trip to the Turks and Caicos last month -- and the bill was allegedly footed by a Traverse City law firm.
Nessel took to Twitter on Wednesday, responding to claims made in a Detroit News article that her $8,629.65 a night stay at the Ritz Carlton Hotel was paid for by the law firm of prominent lawyer Kelly Neumann.
"On the rare occasion my family takes personal vacations, we pay for it ourselves," she wrote. "Not through a campaign committee, C3, C4 or at the expense of lobbyists. Our personal finances. We also do not vacation with those who do business with or have cases against the state of Michigan."
Detroit News journalist Charlie LeDuff wrote that he spoke with hotel staff in the Caribbean, who confirmed that the stay was paid for by Neumann's law firm.
Questions over who paid for the getaway that happened in late March were raised after it was discovered the Northern Michigan firm has had dealings with the Attorney General's office, involving nursing homes and auto insurance claims.
While not illegal, the trip mirrors current controversies surrounding Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch. Gorsuch is getting called out for failing to report real estate transactions while Thomas is being questioned over tropical vacations that were paid for by others.
According to experts, Nessel can accept gift as much as she wants because she is an elected official --- and the state ethics act doesn't apply to her.
When questioned about the trip, Nessel's office did not return a half-dozen call from the Detroit News to clarify any details. Neuman's office also avoided calls, but did remove photos of the vacation from social media.
In responding to Nessel's Tweet, Detroit News Editor and Publisher Gary Miles issued this statement: “While we appreciate Attorney General Nessel’s commitment to paying for her own vacations, we also recognize that she has not denied any of the facts in the piece, including that the bill was paid by the law firm. It’s certainly possible that she did or will pay for her portion of the trip, but as of yet she has not given any indication, public or otherwise, that she has done so.”
Wednesday is the first Nessel addressed the vacation. Reaction to her tweets on social media were mixed.
"Society needs to understand that public figures are human, living normal lives amongst themselves and families like us all. If the general public doesn't require an explanation for anything, neither should public figures," one user commented.
"Rules apply to others but not to you. Sick of elected officials, those supposedly in a service role to the citizenry they represent, dictating to others yet not abiding by the dictates themselves," another wrote. "As hypocritical as it is elitist. An absence of ethics and concern."
Nessel finished her tweet in a joking manner, stating she doesn't vacation with those who do business with or have cases against the state of Michigan, "unless you consider my mother trying to renew her driver’s license and me trying to stop her from renewing her drivers license 'state business.'"