Michigan House Candidate Jennifer Suidan Accused Of Embezzling $100,000 From Elected Official’s Campaign Account

A Michigan House candidate is accused of embezzling more than $100,000 from another politician’s campaign funds.

Jennifer Suidan allegedly embezzled more than $100,000 from Oakland County Treasurer Andy Meisner’s campaign account.

Meisner made the allegations at a news conference from the Goodman Acker law firm. Suidan worked at the law firm. The firm fired her immediately after learning of the alleged embezzlement. She worked as a nonlawyer managing the campaign funds at the law firm for Meisner and other Democrats.

The prominent suburban Detroit law firm handles primarily personal injury claims. The firm also handles funds for a number of prominent Democrats.

Michigan Democratic Party officials immediately called for the Michigan House candidate to drop out of her House race.

Michigan House Candidate Jennifer Suidan Stole From Prominent Michigan Democrat

Andy Meisner told reporters that he became aware of irregularities over the weekend:

I became aware of significant irregularities in the record keeping of my campaign committee. It now appears that the committee’s designated record keeper, Jennifer Suidan, misappropriated money from my campaign. When I learned of this, I immediately notified the authorities.

Suidan was also Meisner’s campaign manager in the 2012 and 2016 elections.

Meisner said he’d reported the discovery of missing money to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, the Oakland County Clerk and state Bureau of Elections. The prosecutor’s office on Monday said the sheriff’s office is investigating.

Meisner’s move to share his decision with media and law enforcement will kill the candidacy of the Michigan House candidate. The 39th District was a key battleground for control of the Michigan House of Representatives. The Michigan Democratic Party had hoped to retake the seat they lost in 2012.

It now appears Republican nominee Ryan Berman of Commerce Township is now a shoo-in to win the seat in November.

Suidan Betrayed A Lot Of Her Friends In Politics

Suidan was Meisner’s campaign manager in his 2012 and 2016 campaigns for County Treasurer. The crime occurred while Suidan worked as Meisner’s campaign-fund treasurer, according to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.

Meisner had no comment Tuesday after the indictment, other than to refer to the statement he gave at the time of Suidan’s arrest. At that time, Meisner said that a detailed audit of his campaign fund showed that she had “betrayed my trust.”

Suidan embezzled funds while working at the Goodman Acker law firm. At that time, he and other prominent Democrats withdrew their endorsements of Suidan’s run for the 39th House District. Suidan did not return multiple voicemail, email and Facebook messages left by the Free Press in September and October. 

The court ordered Suidan to repay Meisner’s fund $90,304. In addition, she also has to repay Goodman Acker $51,000. She must also get a job and receive mental-health treatment. Her sentence includes credit for one day of jail served upon her arrest. The judge declined a prosecutor’s request that Suidan be fitted with an electronic tether in lieu of serving more jail time.