MSP Investigate Campaign Flier Targeting Supervisor Rick Stathakis

Although the Aug. 7 primary elections in Shelby Township are behind us, the Michigan State Police still want to know who sent out a possibly illegal mailing during the campaign.

The Michigan State Police and the United States Postal Service have launched an investigation into a particular campaign flier that they say lists a false return address for a political action group.

The campaign flier targets Shelby Township Supervisor Rick Stathakis. It claims that Stathakis has been spending more time at his private insurance company, where he is a senior partner, than at the township city hall.

The mailer states "Where's Rick Stathakis Really At," and lists his private business, Allied Risk Services, LLC's, address on Van Dyke in Warren.

The return to sender name on the flier is "Taxpayers Protecting Shelby," and the address listed, 30500 Van Dyke Ave., in Warren, is the same address for Allied Risk Services LLC.

"I didn’t send out a negative flier about myself," Stathakis told Patch.com. 

C&G News reports there are no records with the Michigan Secretary of State and the Macomb County Election Department on the group, Taxpayers Protecting Shelby. 

MSP Det. Sgt. Joseph White told the newspaper that the mailer could violate state laws because the content had "malicious intent" and could be considered "harassment."

The investigation will be shared with the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office.

Stathakis told Patch.com the MSP and United States Postal Service have contacted him about the investigation, and he has opted to press charges, if anything comes from the investigation.

Former Shelby Township Police Chief Bob Leman ran against Stathakis for the Republican nomination in the August Primary elections.

Leman told Patch he didn't know anything about the fliers.

"It’s over, and to be honest with you I just want it behind me. It is what it is," he added. "I don’t really want to comment on it."

David Erickson will be running against Stathakis in the Nov. 6 General Election. Erickson could not be reached before the article was published. However, he did tell C&G News that he has no knowledge of any investigation.

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