Macomb County bad boy Steve Marino, a Republican state representative, has been stripped of his committee assignments and a committee chairmanship by the GOP Speaker of the House.
Speaker Jason Wentworth revealed his punishment for Marino this morning but declined to explain what misbehavior by the Harrison Township lawmaker prompted the decision. Marino, 31, who has compiled a long list of questionable behavior during his 4 ½ years in office, was ousted as chair of the House Commerce and Tourism Committee and as a member of the Local Government and Municipal Finance Committee.
Removal of committee assignments is the most serious rebuke a lawmaker can receive from legislative leadership. When former state senator Pete Lucido, a Shelby Township Republican, was stripped in 2020 of his committee seats, including a committee chairmanship, Senate leaders said it was due to groping or sexually harassing three women, including a fellow senator. Lucido now serves as the Macomb County prosecutor.
Marino had previously cut his workload in half by giving up two of his four committee assignments. That move fit a pattern, starting with his first foray into politics in 2014 despite a lack of interest in government. Since then, he has produced quite an array of newspaper headlines.
In a high-profile 2019 bribery case targeting one of his House colleagues, Marino’s name came up repeatedly in court testimony. But the young representative continuously dodged the FBI’s attempt to serve him with a subpoena and he got off scot free.
During his 2016 campaign, Marino scheduled a fancy fundraiser at his neighbor’s house on the shores of Lake St. Clair. What he didn’t tell invited guests was that the host, Dr. Jennifer Franklin, had been indicted by the feds as part of a drug ring that pedaled addictive pain killers such as Oxycodone.
When the media learned the truth, Marino cancelled the event and claimed that he barely knew Franklin, who later pleaded guilty for her role in helping sell more than $2 million worth of pills on the street.
At another point, Marino was caught on tape saying he supported outsourcing of jobs to China and he backed forced child labor overseas. Then 27, he bragged about dodging property taxes on his lakefront home. And he churlishly recounted the times as a lobbyist when he paid off big bar tabs racked up by state legislators at Lansing saloons.
He later recanted the story about buying booze for lawmakers, claiming that the story was all made up.
The liberal website Eclectablog concluded that Marino is either, “a sleazy lobbyist, a tax cheat, or an unmitigated liar. Or maybe all of the above.”
Who knows if the truth will come out, but the punishment handed down by the House speaker suggests that “all of the above” may include an entirely new category of Marino’s shady shenanigans.
I don’t understand the Pete Lucido comment. Are Pete and Steve connected in this story? It was just random, trying to understanding the coorelation.
Thanks
I’m a little confused Chadster. Did you not pay attention to Rep Jewell Jones, his 3 bond violations, how he fought with the police, and how he taped a handcuff key to his foot after he was taken into custody when his bond was revoked? Are we “centrist” as you claim to be? Or do you turn a blind eye to everything a Democrat does and decry every little hiccup a Republican does? Unless its Candice Miller. Political Insider Selweski, who also resides in the least diverse Twp in Macomb County as far as African Americans are concerned. Keyboard hero to the poor underdogs, yet never once has donated time, effort or money to any cause you speak of. Pretty distasteful how you never practice what you preach. But keep knocking those “evil” republicans. Are you mad that Macomb County isnt the blue County you love anymore? Washed up, burned out old Boomer Chad, thats all you are.