u/PalpitationCurious53

Lansing — A Democratic state lawmaker was removed from her House committee assignments Wednesday for what Republican leadership maintained was disrespectful behavior on the committee, but what the lawmaker believed to be retaliation.

State Rep. Penelope Tsernoglou, D-East Lansing, said she was informed Wednesday afternoon of her removal from the House Oversight Committee and one of its subcommittees. The removal came a day after Tsernoglou held a press conference to renew calls for a House Oversight probe of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein's ties to the Interlochen Center for the Arts in northern Michigan.

“Speaker Hall’s decision to remove me from all my committees is truly shocking," Tsernoglou said in a statement Wednesday. "The Speaker of the House has decided to retaliate against me for daring to publicly ask him to investigate Jeffrey Epstein."

Republican gubernatorial candidate and former attorney general Mike Cox has received campaign donations of more than $30,000 from eight political action committees, four of which have his wife, former Michigan Republican Party Chair Laura Cox, listed as the treasurer.

Three of those PACs — Cox Leadership PAC, Make Michigan Grow Again PAC, and Make Michigan Safe Again PAC — have given more than 98% of the money they raised to Cox’s gubernatorial run. The fourth, Cox Majority PAC, has given around 90% to Cox.