Jase Bolger said he made some mistakes in plotting Roy Schmidt's party switch and recruitment of a patsy Democratic candidate to run against the newly-crowned-Republican. But he said he broke no laws - and after a year-long investigation - a grand-jury of one agreed.
Jonathan Oosting of MLive posted Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina's report on the expenses involved in investigating Bolger and Schmidt.
All told, the probe cost the county $53,406.84 -- most of which was used to pay attorneys Michael Ferency and John Smietanka, who Aquilina appointed to assist her as special prosecutors. The attorneys billed a combined $53,102.54 for their work. Grand jury investigations are, by law, highly secretive. Records are sealed unless the subjects of the inquiry request a report of no finding of criminal guilt. The expense report provides a small glimpse into the scale of the probe, indicating that a total of 19 witnesses were called before Aquilina. The court paid those witnesses a total of $162 in fees and $142.30 in mileage.
Roy Schmidt, after being cleared of criminal conduct, is considering a return to politics.
