CENTREVILLE, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Even though she has received a report from the state’s Attorney General, Governor Whitmer has not acted on a request from the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners to remove Sheriff Mark Lillywhite from office.
Commissioners voted in August 2023 to ask Whitmer to remove Lillywhite after he crashed a county vehicle while driving 96 miles per hour in February 2023. He later pleaded guilty to a drunk driving offense. Despite some calls to resign, Lillywhite refused.
A Michigan sheriff can only be removed by a governor’s order or recall. The governor’s office asked Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office to review the county board’s request for removal.
According to MLive, spokesman Danny Wimmer confirmed the Attorney General’s office finished its review and sent its recommendation to Whitmer’s office last October. A spokesman for the governor’s office say the AG’s recommendation is under review, with no timeline given on when it would be complete or if the governor would take action.
Lillywhite’s term only has eight months left. He did not file for reelection and several others have stepped up to try to win the office, including the current undersheriff.
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