e that a violation of the Act has occurred. 

The campaign finance matter is separate from the investigation into union spending.

State police completed investigation

Michigan State Police confirmed to 7 News Detroit that it completed its investigation into the union's finances and referred the case to the Michigan Attorney General's Office. The Attorney General's Office confirmed the investigation remains active.

No one has been charged with a crime.

City and union responses

I asked Eastpointe Fire Chief Jason Clark about the allegations.

 At this point, the department has released a statement along with the city administration, and we have no further comment at this time,  Clark said.

In a written statement, the City of Eastpointe said it is aware of the allegations involving Eastpointe Firefighters Union Local 1561 and is allowing investigations by the Michigan Secretary of State, Michigan Attorney General, and Michigan State Police to proceed. The city said it is monitoring the process, does not believe the situation has affected public safety responsibilities and will take appropriate action after those processes conclude.

I also reached out to the current union president for comment but did not receive a response before deadline.

Michigan Professional Fire Fighters Union President Matthew Sahr provided a statement that said:  As an affiliate of our international union, I take seriously my responsibility to represent our members across Michigan. As a matter of policy, we do not comment on active investigations. 

For now, key questions remain unanswered, including where the money went and whether every dollar can be accounted for.  Clean it up. Clean it up so we can move on. We can't move on until they clean it up,  the source said.

This story was reported on-air by Peter Maxwell and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.