Mark Brant, the newly elected County Commissioner of Monroe County, Michigan, is looking forward to serving his community, but first, he has to serve a prison sentence.

Brant has to turn himself in at a federal prison in Morgantown, West Virginia, on Friday, making this Thanksgiving particularly memorable for him, though he would likely prefer to forget it. He was sentenced to 18 months in a federal facility, ordered to pay a $500,000 fine, and forfeited over $300,000 discovered in his Monroe residence after pleading guilty to what the government describes as “maintaining a drug-involved premises.”

While that might sound like the seasoned Republican politician was running a drug house on the border of Michigan and Ohio, the reality is less sensational. Brant admitted to leasing land to individuals who grew marijuana intended for sale in Ohio, which is against federal law.

Brant, first elected to the Monroe County Commission in 2012, managed to conceal the fact that the federal authorities had been after him for four years. Fellow commissioner Randy Richardville mentioned that when rumors surfaced about Brant’s potential troubles, he reassured his colleagues that there was nothing amiss.

“It turns out there was indeed something going on,” Richardville remarked.

Brant eventually revealed in September that he was facing imprisonment, and Richardville recounted, “Our reaction was WHAT!?!”

Brant announced his resignation from the commission on October 1. However, it was too late for him to remove his name from the ballot, and others were also unable to get on the ballot, resulting in Brant winning a fourth term on November 5 with an astonishing 90% of the votes.

Brant’s victory can be attributed to his popularity and the fact that he ran in a predominantly Republican district where no Democrat attempted to challenge him prior to the filing deadline in April. Additionally, as someone who had been elected three times already, many residents were unaware of his ongoing legal troubles, making it easier to understand his impressive electoral success just a month after he indicated in his resignation letter: “I do not want my personal situation to hinder the county’s efficient functioning, which I adore.”

Despite this, instead of resigning a second time, Brant hurried to the county clerk’s office last week and was sworn in for a new four-year term.

Even allowing for potential time off for good behavior, Brant will spend the first year of his new term incarcerated.

He claims this is not an issue.

“While I’m away, my phone will be operational,” Brant stated last week. “I have someone prepared to take my calls, and my fellow board members have kindly offered to assist with constituents’ concerns that I cannot address.”

Regarding his annual salary of approximately $15,000, Brant expressed the need to accept it.

“Legally, I must continue receiving my paycheck while I’m   ” he paused before adding, “while I’m not present.”

He even mentioned the possibility of donating his salary to a charity.

It remains uncertain how Brant’s colleagues feel about his claims of assistance during his absence, especially with the challenges they now face due to his conviction. Among the issues under consideration is whether county officials who were aware of Brant’s situation should have informed the commission more promptly.

This concern arose after it became known that two leading county officials and the local state senator were aware of Brant’s troubles months ahead of the rest of the commissioners.

Another question is whether elected officials should use their influence — including government letterhead — to seek leniency for a colleague.

Furthermore, can an elected representative adequately serve their community while incarcerated over 300 miles from home?

Gone Up in Smoke

Brant presents himself in court documents as a “serial entrepreneur” with ventures that involve renting land for crops like soybeans and corn.

Unfortunately for him, some of the crops included cannabis.

This was not unexpected for Brant. His attorney indicated in a sentencing memo that Brant was fully aware of his illegal acts, “leasing properties to individuals who would cultivate and eventually distribute marijuana, contrary to” federal law.

This wasn’t Brant’s first run-in with the law. In 1984, he admitted to delivering improperly labeled medications by selling “over-the-counter diet pills” and was sentenced to two years of probation.

Brant has also engaged in a variety of business activities, ranging from commercial and residential real estate to selling livestock, currency exchange, agriculture, technology, vintage cars, farm machinery, and operating the Twin Lakes Llama Ranch. His LinkedIn profile proudly claims that he and his wife once owned the largest herd of llamas “east of the Rockies.”

“He has spent nearly sixty years being addicted,” stated his lawyer, “to entrepreneurship.”

In 1986, Brant ventured into politics, successfully campaigning for the position of supervisor in Raisinville Township. By 2002, he was appointed to the Monroe County Planning Commission, and in 2012, he secured his first term on the Monroe County Commission. In 2020, he was elevated to chairman of the board, becoming the most influential elected official in Monroe County.

Brant’s lawyer, along with his colleagues and friends, praised him as a diligent family man and a leader dedicated to improving the “quality of life for residents of our County.”

However, this praise has begun to create discomfort for those who offered it, as well as for some Monroe County commissioners.

County Administrator Michael Bosanac and his deputy Aundrea Armstrong expressed their admiration for Brant in letters sent to his attorney on June 4. Those letters were subsequently forwarded to the judge as part of Brant’s attempt to avoid a prison sentence. Last week, Bosanac and Armstrong stated they were unaware of Brant’s charges or his guilty plea when he requested their letters in May, despite there being indications of his legal troubles.

“In 2020, when his home and business were raided, I was informed by a board member,” Armstrong noted in a response to an email. “Mr. Brant claimed he was innocent and had committed no wrongdoing.”

Bosanac remarked that he would have informed the commissioners if Brant’s issues were related to county business or his official responsibilities. “I am not obligated to divulge Mr. Brant’s personal matters, nor did I have any information to share,” Bosanac stated. “The responsibility lies entirely with him.”

In hindsight, Bosanac acknowledged, “It may have been wise to ask more questions about the character letter in order to determine whether a different approach was warranted.”

Armstrong concurred, stating, “Given what I know now, I would have likely inquired about the purpose of the letter.”

Neither Bosanac nor Armstrong answered when asked if Brant had pressured them into writing favorable letters on his behalf.

Now, the commissioners are starting to ask their own questions.

“Is there concern over the letters written? Absolutely,” Richardville commented. “A thorough investigation into who was aware of what and when is still needed.”

Richardville, a former state Senate Majority Leader, is part of a new ethics committee aimed at suggesting reforms to prevent future scandals.

One official who provided a letter asking for leniency for Brant is not subject to the committee’s oversight.

State Senator Joe Bellino Jr., a Republican from Monroe, expressed that Brant “has always demonstrated a high standard of integrity and honesty in both personal and professional dealings. I was taken aback by the news of the issues Mark is facing; it seems very out of character.”

In contrast to Bosanac and Armstrong, Bellino drafted his letter on official government stationery, featuring The Great Seal of the State of Michigan.

Bellino mentioned he received feedback from a few individuals who find it inappropriate to have used his Senate letterhead.

“He was a friend in need,” Bellino remarked, acknowledging, “I did use my position to advocate for someone who has admitted to being a felon, hoping for a lighter sentence.  I’m inclined to assist people whenever I can.”

“I can because I had people supporting me during my journey to sobriety.”

Bellino, who is in recovery from addiction, mentioned that he has sent approximately 40 letters advocating for leniency for addicts who face legal issues. He noted that Brant is not an addict and typically refrains from using his Senate letterhead. However, he stated he was at his desk when asked for assistance regarding Brant’s situation and simply took the stationery that was nearby.

When questioned if he would use his Senate letterhead again, he remarked, “Considering the chaos it has caused, I would likely choose a different type of stationery.”

Bellino expressed that he assumed others were aware of Brant’s situation when he penned the letter and was left disappointed that his friend had not disclosed his troubles earlier.

“Mark should have informed people,” he stated. “It would have made the current situation easier for him and the board.”

A complicated situation

Brant’s attorney claimed that his client made a “serious error in judgment” and that “a prison sentence would have a more detrimental effect on Mr. Brant’s community, children, and grandchildren than on him personally.”

Not everyone in Monroe County shares this view.

Local news sources, including The Monroe News and the Toledo Blade, reported on upset residents who criticized Brant, the county board, and the officials who supported him.

“This isn’t about the marijuana,” Katybeth Davis stated during a recent county commission meeting. “I can’t stand liars. I detest being deceived. (People believe) that being elected somehow entitles you to behave better than everyone else. You are in the position to govern the county. We deserve better. I urge the county commissioners to encourage Mark Brant to resign if he is elected.”

Bill LaVoy demanded the resignation of any county employee who did not inform the commission about Brant’s legal dilemmas.

LaVoy, a Democrat and former state representative who ran unsuccessfully for a commission seat, does not want Brant to be back on the county payroll in January. He expressed in an email: “How could someone represent the people of Monroe County from a prison cell while not residing in the area they are supposed to serve?”

Richardville noted that while the commissioners urged Brant to resign when they learned of his situation, there isn’t much they can do to remove him from office next year.

“There’s no requirement for attendance, nor are there sanctions for failing to show up,” he explained. “It’s a very unusual situation.”

Unfortunately, the Michigan Constitution doesn’t offer much assistance either. It was updated after the Kwame Kilpatrick scandal to prevent officials convicted of a felony from running for state office for 20 years, but only if the crime was related to their official duties. Thus, an official convicted of a DUI could still serve, while one found guilty of bribery could not.

When I inquired if Brant would have supported a felon, he responded: “Well, I voted for Trump.”

He later asserted that he does not view his own conviction as significant.

“Numerous felonies don’t necessarily undermine your credibility,” he remarked, “or your capability to serve in an elected role.”

On a positive note, Brant will likely have ample opportunity to address his constituents’ concerns — provided they are willing to accept a collect call.