Two of Michigan’s former Attorneys General, Mike Cox and Bill Schuette, testified Wednesday morning before the Subcommittee on Weaponization of State Government.

Subcommittee Chair Rep. Angela Rigas, R-Caledonia, expressed that the purpose of the hearing was to examine how the office of the Attorney General should be run, focusing on the record of Michigan’s current Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat serving her second term. Both Cox and Schuette served as Republicans in their respective AG tenures.

Last week, Rigas requested documents from Nessel’s office related to her office’s prosecution of the Flint Water Crisis. “This request falls within the Subcommittee’s mandate to ensure transparency, accountability, and the responsible use of state resources in governmental operations,” according to Rigas’ request.

Rigas was propelled into politics after Nessel used the AG’s office to strip her of her cosmetology license for styling hair during the COVID-19 lockdowns implemented by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

“In 2020, I was ticketed for a first amendment event and ultimately, our current attorney general tried stripping my professional business license for that,” Rigas said during the subcommittee hearing. “That’s a clear example of weaponization of state government. So, I appreciate you here to give the committee and the people of Michigan a clear understanding of what the proper role of that office is,” she told Cox and Schuette.

In his Wednesday testimony, former AG Cox said that the AG’s role should be to “defend the state and all actions against it” and that the AG “represents the state and the people.”


“State AGs are nominated and elected in partisan races so AGs are political actors. That is a fact of life But they must be at their professional and ethical best when charging folks criminally.,” Cox posted on social media.

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Cox also criticized Nessel for joining other Democrat state attorneys general in lawsuits waged against President Donald Trump.

Nessel’s immediate predecessor, Bill Schuette, stated that the “AG’s first responsibility is public safety.”

The Midland Republican added that if an AG wants to defund the police, it is a reckless action.

“This really speaks to the issue of public safety, Schuette said. “And if there’s an attorney general who supports policies to defund the police or is lax on enforcing the law, well I would describe that as reckless and irresponsible behavior.”

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Cox and Schuette shared how their office operated during their respective AG terms. They noted that both men used safeguards such as an ethics officer and adhered to the same code of ethics that other attorneys must follow. When asked what the criteria were for determining what cases they pursued, Cox shared, “Did it directly impact the state?”

Due to the Attorney General’s role being a nonpartisan office, the former AGs both agreed that while the office can share political opinions, politics cannot be at the heart of decision-making, especially when it comes to prosecuting criminal cases.

Rep. Jason Woolford asked if there was any advice they could give to the current AG. Schuette stated that the office of the Attorney General swears to uphold both the Michigan and U.S. constitutions and that an AG cannot “pick and choose” what to uphold.

Mike Cox’s advice was similar. He expressed, “Slow your roll,” especially in the criminal cases in Flint,  where the Nessel dismissed the charges put in place by the previous administration and instead charged former Gov. Rick Snyder with a misdemeanor. Former AG Cox described this action as a “revenge verdict,” as it came several years after the crisis.

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The hearing underscored the former AGs’ belief that the Attorney General’s office must remain focused on upholding the law, safeguarding public safety, and avoiding political influence in prosecutorial decisions. Their testimony called for accountability and a return to foundational legal principles in Michigan’s highest law enforcement office.

“I’m grateful we were able to hear from two AGs that actually know their job description,” Rigas said in a statement. “Their testimony revealed this is an office intended to protect the public and uphold the constitution, not to target political opponents.”