Letters in Support of Thomas Leonard’s Nomination

To be U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan

1. Michigan Republican U.S. Congressional Delegation

2. Mayor of Detroit, Michael E. Duggan
3. Michigan County Prosecutors
4. Michigan County Sheriffs
5. Michigan Chamber of Commerce
6. Fraternal Order of Police State Lodge of Michigan
7. Genesee County Prosecuting Attorney, David S. Leyton
8. Macomb County Executive, Mark A. Hackel
9. Oakland County Sheriff, Michael J. Bouchard
10. Macomb County Public Works Commissioner, Candice S. Miller
11. Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce & the Chaldean Community Foundation
12. Police Officers Association of Michigan
13. Michigan Farm Bureau
14. Community Mental Health Association of Michigan
15. Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
16. Grand Rapids & Detroit Regional Chambers of Commerce
17. Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce
18. Michigan Corn Growers Association
19. Michigan Milk Producers Association
September 12, 2019

The Honorable Lindsey Graham, Chairman

The Honorable Dianne Feinstein, Ranking Member Committee on the Judiciary
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Graham and Ranking Member Feinstein,

As the Mayor of Michigan’s largest city, it is an honor to support the confirmation of Tom Leonard to serve as the
United States Attorney for Michigan’s Western District.

I came to know Mr. Leonard while he was serving in the Michigan Legislature. The State of Michigan suffered from the
highest auto insurance rates in the nation and within the state, the citizens Detroit were the biggest victims. As the
city’s Mayor, I was committed to finding a solution to this problem. I found an honorable and committed partner in Mr.
Leonard.

When Mr. Leonard became Speaker of the House, we worked alongside each other to build a strong coalition of groups,
organizations, and citizens from around the state and from both political parties who were committed to addressing
auto insurance reform. Throughout this process, I was thoroughly impressed with how Mr. Leonard engaged with every
individual around the negotiation table. Mr. Leonard ensured everyone had a voice. He was tough, but fair. He treated
every individual with dignity and respect. His word was his bond. His integrity was the pinnacle of his character.

Auto insurance reform brought Mr. Leonard and I together and through this issue we formed a partnership and
friendship that was able to tackle a variety of important policies. We addressed economic development legislation that
will bring jobs to the entire state and especially benefit the City of Detroit and transform its skyline for decades to
come. We worked to eliminate driver responsibility fees, which were prohibiting over 70,000 of Detroit’s citizens from
lawfully obtaining a driver’s license. Because of Mr. Leonard’s hard work, many of those citizens can finally obtain a
driver’s license, and most importantly, a job.

Mr. Leonard and I are from different political parties. I live in the City of Detroit and Mr. Leonard in a suburb of Lansing.
I’ve been involved in politics for a generation and serving in the Legislature was Mr. Leonard’s first elected office. On
paper, we could be viewed as opposites, but when it came to doing the right thing and putting the needs of citizens
first, Mr. Leonard stood with me at the front of the line.

It is for these reasons I find Mr. Leonard uniquely qualified to serve our citizens as a United States Attorney. He
possesses the leadership skills, character, and experience necessary to excel in this position and I strongly encourage
the Senate to move quickly to confirm him.

Sincerely,

Michael E. Duggan
Mayor, City of Detroit
Thomas Weichel
Alcona County Prosecutor
James Rossiter
Antrim County Prosecutor
Joseph O’Leary
Baraga County Prosecutor
Julie Pratt
Barry County Prosecutor
Sara Swanson
Benzie County Prosecutor
Michael Sepic
Berrien County Prosecutor
David Gilbert
Calhoun County Prosecutor
Victor Fitz
Cass County Prosecutor
Allen Telgenhof
Charlevoix County Prosecutor
Michelle Ambrozaitis
Clare County Prosecutor
Sierra Koch
Crawford County Prosecutor
Lisa Richards
Dickinson County Prosecutor
Doug Lloyd
Eaton County Prosecutor
Jim Linderman
Emmet County Prosecutor
David Leyton
Genesee County Prosecutor
Aaron Miller
Gladwin County Prosecutor
Nick Jacobs
Gogebic County Prosecutor
Noelle Moeggenberg
Grand Traverse County
Prosecutor
Keith Kushion
Gratiot County Prosecutor
Tim Rutkowski
Huron County Prosecutor
Kyle Butler
Ionia County Prosecutor
David Barberi
Isabella County Prosecutor
Jerry Jarzynka
Jackson County Prosecutor
Christopher Becker
Kent County Prosecutor
Burke Castleberry
Lenawee County Prosecutor
Neal Brady
Hillsdale County Prosecutor
Joe Hubbell
Leelanau County Prosecutor
Bill Vailliencourt
Livingston County Prosecutor
Joshua Freed
Luce County Prosecutor
Stuart Spencer
Mackinac County Prosecutor
Paul Spaniola
Mason County Prosecutor
Brian Thiede
Mecosta County Prosecutor
J. Dee Brooks
Midland County Prosecutor
David Den Houten
Missaukee County Prosecutor
Andrea Krause
Montcalm County Prosecutor
Ellsworth Stay
Newaygo County Prosecutor
Mike Findlay
Ontonagon County Prosecutor
Ronald Frantz
Ottawa County Prosecutor
Tim Noble
Schoolcraft County Prosecutor
Deana Finnegan
Shiawassee County Prosecutor
Mike Wendling
St. Clair County Prosecutor
Mark Reene
Tuscola County Prosecutor
Michael Bedford
Van Buren County Prosecutor
Brian Mackie
Washtenaw County Prosecutor
Jason Elmore
Wexford County Prosecutor
 August 27, 2019

The Honorable Lindsey Graham, Chairman

The Honorable Dianne Feinstein, Ranking Member
Committee on the Judiciary
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Graham and Ranking Member Feinstein,

I am writing on behalf of the over 10,000 members who comprise the Fraternal Order of Police
State Lodge of Michigan (FOP) to strongly support the confirmation of Tom Leonard as the next
United States Attorney for the Western District of Michigan.

Mr. Leonard has proudly served the law enforcement community in Michigan beginning with his
time as a Prosecutor with the Genesee County Prosecutor’s Office. During his time there, Mr.
Leonard worked tirelessly to fight for justice, while protecting crime victims and was responsible
for prosecuting some of the most dangerous criminals while assigned to the Special Crimes
Division in Flint. Mr. Leonard is an experienced prosecutor who also served as an assistant
attorney general for Michigan.

In addition to extensive experience as a prosecutor, Mr. Leonard also brings many years of
leadership experience, including time as the Michigan Speaker of the House. During his tenure
in office, I’ve had many occasions to work with Mr. Leonard. Mr. Leonard was always honorable
and fair, taking the time to understand the issues before him.

With his strong reputation based upon integrity and hard work, I strongly urge you and your
colleagues to confirm Tom Leonard as the next United States Attorney for the Western District
of Michigan.

Very Respectfully Yours,

Michael Sauger
State President
Michigan Fraternal Order of Police
 Candice S. Miller
Public Works Commissioner
Macomb County

September 9, 2019

The Honorable Lindsey Graham, Chairman

The Honorable Dianne Feinstein, Ranking Member Committee on the Judiciary
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Graham and Ranking Member Feinstein,

As a former member of the United States Congress, I am writing to express my strong support for
Tom Leonard to be confirmed as the United States Attorney for Michigan’s Western District.

As a former prosecutor, assistant attorney general, and Speaker of the Michigan House of
Representatives, Mr. Leonard is uniquely qualified to serve our nation as a United States Attorney.

In my current capacity as the Macomb County Public Works Commissioner, I had the privilege of
working with Mr. Leonard early on during his tenure as House Speaker. Macomb County suffered a
local disaster when a sinkhole developed because of a major sewer interceptor collapse. The
situation was bad enough that residents in one neighborhood lost their homes into the sinkhole and
over 500,000 sewer customers in surrounding communities were affected. When I went to the
legislature to seek help for our situation, Mr. Leonard never wavered. Despite some pushback from
even leadership in his own party, Mr. Leonard was not afraid to fight for the citizens of Macomb
County to help us obtain the much-needed resources to fix the problem.

This was the type of leadership Mr. Leonard possessed as House Speaker. He was always willing to
tackle tough issues to help the citizens of our state. Most importantly, Mr. Leonard was not afraid to
reach across the aisle to do so. One of his first actions as House Speaker was to dedicate his
acceptance speech to the importance of bringing civility back to the political process. Regardless of
the person, Mr. Leonard always made sure to treat everyone with dignity and respect. I witnessed
this first-hand as we worked together, and have no doubt that he will do the same as the next United
States Attorney for Michigan’s Western District.

Mr. Leonard possesses the leadership skills, character, and experience necessary to make a strong
United States Attorney for the State of Michigan. I strongly encourage the Senate to move swiftly to
confirm him.

Very Respectfully Yours,


Candice Miller
Macomb County Public Works Commissioner

ADDRESS: 21777 Dunham Road, Clinton Township, Michigan 48036 ● Phone: 586-469-5325 ● Fax: 586-469-5933
ENGINEERING ● Phone: 586-469-5910 ● Fax: 586-469-7693 ◊ SOIL EROSION ● Phone: 586-469-5327 ● Fax 586-307-8264
7373 West Saginaw Highway, Box 30960, Lansing, Michigan 48909-8460
Phone (517) 323-7000

August 28, 2019

The Honorable Lindsey Graham, Chairman

The Honorable Dianne Feinstein, Ranking Member
Committee on the Judiciary
Unites States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Chairman Graham and Ranking Member Feinstein,

We would like to ask for your full-fledged support in the nomination of Tom Leonard to be the United
States Attorney for the Western District of Michigan.

Tom Leonard is the founder of MiStrategies, a policy development and strategic collaboration firm that
partners with companies, associations, and industry advocates committed to making Michigan a “top-10
state.” Prior to founding MiStrategies, Tom was elected three times to the Michigan House of
Representatives, where he served from 2013-2018. In his third and final term, Tom’s colleagues
unanimously elected him to serve as Michigan’s 75th Speaker of the House of Representatives. As a
legislator and House Speaker, Tom had a sterling reputation as a straight shooter who solved complex
problems. Reforming Michigan’s teacher pension fund, creating a bi-partisan task force to tackle
Michigan’s broken mental health system, enacting major criminal justice reform, and re-writing
Michigan’s health insurance code are just some of his signature accomplishments. In 2018, Tom was the
Republican nominee for attorney general.

Tom has earned Michigan Farm Bureau’s “Friend of Agriculture” endorsement in each of his state House
of Representatives races as well as his statewide bid for Attorney General. Tom has been active in his
county Farm Bureau serving on a local discussion group to discuss agricultural issues with farmers from
his area. He was instrumental in securing the development of a new $470 million dairy processing
facility in his district that will have the capacity to process a quarter of the milk produced in
Michigan each year.

Overall, Tom has built a great rapport with the agricultural community both within his county and
statewide. He has been a listening ear and has worked with his colleagues to deliver on key agricultural
policy issues. He is a fair and balanced leader, and I am pleased to add our endorsement for his
nomination.

Very truly yours,

Carl Bednarski
President, Michigan Farm Bureau

Cc: The Honorable Senator Debbie Stabenow

The Honorable Senator Gary Peters
September 11, 2019

The Honorable Lindsey Graham, Chairman

The Honorable Dianne Feinstein, Ranking Member Committee on the Judiciary
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Graham and Ranking Member Feinstein,

As the Chief Executive Officer of the Community Mental Health Association of Michigan, I strongly support the confirmation of
Tom Leonard to the Michigan’s next United States Attorney for the Western District.

Mr. Leonard has proudly served our state – first as prosecutor for Genesee County and then as an assistant attorney general.
During this time, he worked tirelessly for victims, the law enforcement community and, most importantly, for justice.

Mr. Leonard also served in the Michigan House of Representatives, where his colleagues unanimously selected him to serve
as Speaker of the House. As a legislator, Mr. Leonard had a reputation for reaching across the aisle to tackle big issues. In
his first few months of being Speaker, Mr. Leonard created the House C.A.R.E.S. Task Force, which focused on bringing
mental health reform to our state. In my role with the CMHA, I have witnessed the jails being used to house those with mental
health issues and have seen first-hand the destruction caused by the opioid crisis. It was a relief to work with someone in the
legislature that had the heart and leadership to take on these issues and manage effective policy that would bring real change
to Michigan’s justice system.

In addition to tackling big issues, Mr. Leonard had a reputation for treating all of those in the process with dignity and respect.
During his first day as House Speaker, Mr. Leonard’s major focus was bringing civility to the political process. This became a
pillar of his tenure as Speaker and the legacy he left behind. Mr. Leonard embodies these principles and I have no doubt he
will exercise them as the Western District’s next United States Attorney.

I believe Mr. Leonard has the leadership skills and experience necessary to be a strong and effective United States Attorney
for Michigan’s Western District. I strongly urge you and your colleagues to move quickly to confirm him.

Very Respectfully Yours and on behalf of Michigan’s Community Mental Health Agencies across the State of Michigan,

Robert Sheehan
Chief Executive Officer
Community Mental Health Association of Michigan

RS/mf

426 S. Walnut St. • Lansing, MI 48933 • (517) 374-6848 • Fax (517) 374-1053 • www.cmham.org
 September 13, 2019

The Honorable Lindsey Graham, Chairman

The Honorable Dianne Feinstein, Ranking Member
Committee on Judiciary
The United State Senate
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman Graham and Ranking Member Feinstein:

As the leaders of the two largest local chambers of commerce in Michigan, we have had the
occasion to work with Tom Leonard on numerous occasions. We strongly support his nomination as
United States Attorney for the Western District of Michigan and encourage the Senate to approve his
appointment. Speaker Leonard is a dedicated public servant and champion for justice.

As you may know, Speaker Leonard concluded his constitutionally limited tenure in the Michigan
House of Representatives in 2018. During his time as a member of the Legislature, Speaker Leonard was
a key leader in Michigan’s remarkable turnaround under Governor Rick Snyder. As a member of the
House of Representatives Speaker Leonard assumed a leadership role in difficult decisions that resulted in
Michigan’s economy rebounding after a decade of decline. Most importantly for the position to which he
has been appointed, Speaker Leonard led efforts to increase early intervention by mental health
professionals before a crime is committed. Further, as Speaker, the first package of bills signed by the
Governor reformed Michigan’s criminal justice system in an effort to reduce recidivism and thereby
reducing future prison populations.

Prior to his service in the Legislature, Speaker Leonard’s legal career as a prosecutor gave him
the needed experience to serve as US Attorney. Speaker Leonard served as a prosecutor in Genessee
County, a county which has seen decades of job loss, population decline and increased poverty, creating
unique challenges for prosecutors and the justice system. Speaker Leonard also served as an Assistant
Attorney General and was a candidate for Attorney General. After a rigorous endorsement process, the
political action committees of both of our organizations enthusiastically supported Speaker Leonard’s
candidacy for Attorney General in 2018.
The Honorable Lindsey Graham
The Honorable Dianne Feinstein
September 13, 2019
Page 2 of 2

We recognize the important role that the Senate plays in advising and consenting to the
President’s nominees. On behalf of employers large and small in the Grand Rapids and Detroit regions,
and those that have benefited from Tom Leonard’s public service, we encourage the Senate to approve his
appointment quickly.

Sincerely,

Rick Baker Sandy K. Baruah

President and Chief Executive Officer President and Chief Executive Officer
Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce Detroit Regional Chamber

Cc: The Honorable Debbie Stabenow, United States Senator

The Honorable Gary Peters, United States Senator
September 13, 2019

The Honorable Lindsey Graham, Chairman

The Honorable Dianne Feinstein, Ranking Member
Committee on the Judiciary
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Chairman Graham and Ranking Member Feinstein,

I am writing on behalf of the Michigan Corn Growers Association (MCGA) to express our support for the
nomination of Tom Leonard to serve as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Michigan.
MCGA represents nearly 1,500 members in Michigan and we advocate for the interests of all of Michigan’s
16,000 corn farmers.

We have had the privilege of working with Tom during his three terms in the Michigan House of
Representatives and were pleased when his colleagues elected him to serve as Speaker of the House during his
final term. As a member of the legislature, Tom showed himself to be a creative problem solver who can bring
people together to tackle difficult issues.

Tom has demonstrated strong leadership, excellent judgement, and a commitment to serving the people of
Michigan. He has earned the respect of Michigan’s agriculture community and we are proud to endorse him for
this nomination.

Sincerely,

Jim Zook
Executive Director
Michigan Corn Growers Association
September 12, 2019
The Honorable Lindsey Graham, Chairman
The Honorable Dianne Feinstein, Ranking Member
Committee on the Judiciary
Unites States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Chairman Graham and Ranking Member Feinstein,
I am writing on behalf of the Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) to give my support and
endorsement for the nomination of Tom Leonard as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of
Michigan.
Tom’s previous involvement as a legislator, house speaker and prosecutor has proven Tom’s
impressive abilities to work with individuals with different beliefs and those with a different
background to find the solution to a problem. He works tirelessly to defend the United States
Constitution while proving himself an advocate for his county and his state.
Tom is the founder of MiStrategies, a policy development and strategic collaboration firm that
strategizes, communicates and targets issues that need solving within Michigan. Tom is committed
to improving the future of Michigan by making it a top-10 state with his involvement with
MiStrategies and the collaborative efforts with companies, associations and industry advocates.
Tom’s ability to solve complex problems while working with stakeholders and influencers is
evidenced not only in his work with MiStrategies, but also in his reputation as a leader in the
community.
Tom’s leadership in the community includes his involvement with Michigan’s diverse agriculture
industry. He actively seeks conversations with farmers and seeks to make an impact on our
members’ communities.
MMPA’s endorsement of Tom is a result of witnessing his leadership abilities and recognizing how
he can continue to move Michigan forward if he is chosen as our next U.S. Attorney for the Western
District of Michigan.
Regards,

Kris Wardin
Board Chairman,
Michigan Milk Producers Association