Granholm violates IRS code

Michigan

GOP wants IRS to probe Granholm expense account

BY DAWSON BELL

FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

The Michigan Republican Party has asked the Internal Revenue Service to investigate Gov. Jennifer Granholm's tax-exempt expense account which the GOP says has failed to file required reports, has missed reporting deadlines and was used for ineligible purposes.

The party filed a complaint with the agency's Criminal Investigation Branch on March 29 detailing what GOP Executive Director Jeff Timmer said are violations that warrant fines of $141,232 and revocation of the account's tax-exempt status. He cited flights paid for with the Executive Office Administrative Account that Granholm took with members of her family in state aircraft to Michigan State University's men's and women's basketball teams' Final Four games in the NCAA Tournament in 2005. "Michigan families don't typically have special slush funds that they can use for entertainment," Timmer said Thursday. "Being a cheerleader is not one of the governor's official duties."

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