This column has been updated to include new information.
My friends in Michigan know that I have very little agreement with state Attorney General Dana Nessel, a deeply liberal Democrat.
And yet, to my surprise, I found myself siding with her in the new controversy over criminal charges against student protesters and the disturbing accusations made by Michigan Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib.
Nessel announced this month that he would be filing charges against 11 people, mostly students and alumni, involved in protests at the University of Michigan this year.
Student protests related to the Israel-Hamas war have roiled college campuses across the country and caused extreme unrest in the state, particularly at the University of Michigan. Most of those Nessel accused were pro-Palestinian protesters.
“A college campus should be a place where the exploration and sharing of ideas and opinions thrives, but belief in one’s ideals is no excuse for breaking the law,” Nessel said in a news release. “Campuses should not be lawless zones. What is a crime anywhere else in the city remains a crime on college grounds.”
Nessel is right, and I’m glad she defended the rule of law, unlike other prosecutors across the country who have failed to hold unruly students accountable.
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Rashida Tlaib exposes prejudice against Jews again
Tlaib wasn’t too pleased with Nessel’s decision to bring these charges.
Tlaib, a Palestinian-American, seems to believe that students and others who break the law in the name of criticizing Israel should be given impunity. That’s not surprising, given Tlaib’s history of anti-Semitic comments. Her over-the-top comments after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel even drew condemnation from her colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives.
In an interview after her indictment, Tlaib told the Detroit Metro Times, “We have the right to disagree, we have the right to protest. We’ve disagreed on issues like climate change, the immigrant rights movement, Black lives matter, even the injustice surrounding water shutoffs.”
Tlaib shows a dangerous level of ignorance in not recognizing the difference between peaceful protests and other speech protected by the First Amendment and conduct that is completely illegal.
She didn’t stop there. Tlaib went on to suggest that Nesser, who is Jewish, must be biased against Palestinian supporters in his accusations.
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“The attorney general appears determined to treat Palestine differently if the issue is Palestine. This alone speaks to the potential for bias within the institution she runs,” Tlaib said.
If anyone is showing bias here, it’s Tribe, not Nessel.
Governor Whitmer refuses to criticize Tlaib directly
Nessel Fight back against tribes about XHe wrote on Friday: “Rashida should not use my religion to suggest that I cannot serve fairly as attorney general. That is anti-Semitic and it’s wrong.”
On Sunday, Jake Tapper questioned Michigan’s Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer about the dispute on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Gov. Whitmer’s answer? “I’m not going to get involved in this discussion that they’re having,” she said.
The governor also refused to defend Nessel’s decision to file charges and do his job, nor did he condemn Tlaib’s biased comments about the attorney general. The next day, Whitmer issued a statement to Tapper “clarifying” her defense of Nessel, but did not name Tlaib.
Whitmer’s response was disappointing and drew criticism from Anti-Defamation League President Jonathan Greenblatt, but it is consistent with how she has responded to other abhorrent behavior. In April, it took the governor more than a week to condemn the chanting of “Death to America” โโat a protest in Dearborn, Michigan.
As an advocate for Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign and former President Joe Biden’s campaign, Governor Whitmer is clearly making a calculated decision not to alienate Michigan’s large Muslim population, many of whom are unhappy with Biden’s continued support for Israel.
But it may not be that simple. For example, the mayor of the Muslim-majority city of Hamtramck announced his support for former President Donald Trump last weekend, calling him a “man of faith.”
No matter what election year it is, it shouldn’t be that hard for politicians like Whitmer to call out bias, even within their own party.
Ingrid Jack is a columnist for USA TODAY. Contact her at ijacques@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Ingrid Jack.