Candidate accused of (literally) having ‘blood on his hands’

Smash-mouth political tactics have emerged in Macomb County – no surprise – in recent days as a candidate for supervisor in one of Michigan’s largest and fastest-growing townships is accused of having “blood on his hands” – a reference to a death that occurred when he worked for an ambulance company many years ago.

As the Aug. 2 Republican primary approaches, the Macomb Township controversy centers on a piece of campaign literature, mailed in the last few days, that claims former township supervisor Mark Grabow was the subject of a lawsuit back in 1990 while working as a dispatcher for the Ruehle’s ambulance service.

The campaign flyer asserts that a Clinton Township man died from cardiac arrest on April 22, 1990, after waiting two hours and 21 minutes for a response to a 5 a.m. emergency call for a Ruehle’s ambulance.

Macomb County Circuit Court documents show that Ruehle’s essentially blamed Grabow for failing to send an ambulance. After an initial 911 call for a man having trouble breathing, audio evidence showed that Grabow later claimed an ambulance arrived at the scene but, after paramedics “banged and banged” on the door without a response, they left.

Yet, court evidence shows that the Clinton Township Police Department, prompted by a second 911 call from the panicked wife of the victim nearly two hours later, called Ruehle’s again and wondered why an ambulance had not shown up.

In a court document, Ruehle’s offered this defense: “Mr. Grabow has no recollection of anything that transpired from approximately 3:00 a.m. on April 22nd through 6:44 a.m.” The family of the victim was awarded a $525,000 settlement.

We’ll await Grabow’s response.

Is this a version of hardball Macomb County politics? Of course. The campaign piece says it was paid for by the “Better Michigan Coalition.” According to the Secretary of State’s Office, no such political group has registered with the Bureau of Elections.

In addition, the coalition address on the mailer to voters lists a Reed City base of operations. Reed City is located northwest of Midland, hundreds of miles from Macomb Tow

Grabow, 2016

nship.

Meanwhile, Grabow has established an increasingly checkered past even as he aggressively pursues a campaign to regain the supervisor’s post he held from 2009-12.

Last month, Grabow pleaded guilty to failing to pay fines issued by the state Bureau of Elections dating back more than 18 months. The fines were issued because his ongoing campaign committee failed to file a financial report in November 2014.

Grabow was placed on probation for 90 days by the 41-A District Court. Under Michigan election law, the former supervisor could have faced perjury charges for failing to disclose his debt to the state. If he violates his probation, he might face a $500 fine and/or up to 90 days in jail.

In addition, Grabow won election to the supervisor’s position in November 2008 at the same time that he was facing a citation for violating a township ordinance because his limousine service was located in a rural, non-commercial area of the township. According to news reports, what followed was four years of ignoring township decrees and entering into a lengthy court fight, which he lost.

When Grabow also lost his bid for re-election in the August 2012 Republican primary, he eventually resurfaced. In mid-October 2012, just weeks before the general election and after about 1,500 absentee ballots had already been cast, he engaged in a quixotic effort as a write-in candidate for supervisor in the November vote. The current township supervisor, Janet Dunn, won in a walk.

Now, we have a Dunn vs. Grabow rematch in just three weeks. Macomb Twp. voters in this heavily Republican locality must decide before the primary if Grabow’s track record disqualifies him from retaking office, or if the “blood on his hands” cutting attacks by a shadowy group represent an ugly campaign tactic that has unfairly strayed out of bounds.