GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- Matthew Smith, a Davison Community Schools Board of Education member, has been elected to lead the county Republican Party.
Smith is facing a misdemeanor charge of malicious use of telecommunications services, a charge issued after a Michigan State Police investigation linked his phone to a threatening call to a Democratic county clerk in the Upper Peninsula last year.
He has pleaded not guilty in the case, which is scheduled for a jury trial in Genesee District Court on Sept. 16 before Judge William Crawford.
“It is with great honor that I announce that I’ve been elected as the new chairman of the Genesee County Republican Party,” Smith said in a written message to MLive-The Flint Journal. “A seat I’ve dreamed about as a young kid. A seat in which I can make a real impact.
“I’ve had the Democratic establishment target on my back for a long time, so let’s make it official with the chair position,” the statement says. “It is time we offer Genesee County voters real change and be taken seriously. Soon, you’ll see what I mean. I look forward to traveling every corner of our county. The fight is on. What an honor.”
Smith did not immediately respond to a question from The Journal about his pending court case. He has previous called the charge against him politically motivated.
Judy Climer, a member of the county GOP Executive Committee, said she agrees with that assessment, calling the case against Smith a “political game.”
“I have no reservations about him at all,” Climer said. “I’ve watched him work and have great faith and confidence in him.”
Malicious use of telecommunications services is a crime that is punishable by a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail.
In Smith’s case, the charge is tied to a police complaint made by Houghton County Clerk Jennifer Kelly, who told police a man harassed her and threatened to kill her dogs over the phone in March 2020.
Police reports indicated the call appeared to have come from Smith’s phone.
The Houghton County Sheriff’s Department, Davison Township Police Department, and Michigan State Police investigated the complaint before turning reports over to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel for possible criminal charges last fall. The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office issued the charge after Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton recused himself from the case.
Read more on MLive:
Davison school board member faces misdemeanor in case of threatening phone call to UP clerk
Police reports link Davison school board member’s phone to harassing call to UP clerk
State Rep. Kennedy calls for resignation of Davison school board member tied to threatening call
Genesee County GOP picks Smith as chairman despite pending criminal charge - MLive.com
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