A former Michigan state representative has been acquitted of federal corruption charges, in a verdict that defied the odds. On Thursday, ex-Rep. Larry Inman, a Republican, walked free after a jury found him not guilty on charges of attempted extortion and soliciting a bribe, following a four-day trial in Grand Rapids, as reported by The Detroit News. The charges were linked to an alleged 2018 incident where Inman was accused of attempting to trade his vote on a repeal of the state's prevailing wage law for campaign contributions.
The acquittal marks a significant legal victory for Inman, especially considering the rarity of such outcomes in federal cases. According to a Pew Research Center report cited by The Detroit News, fewer than 1% of federal defendants went to trial and won their cases with an acquittal in fiscal year 2018. Despite the U.S. Attorney's Office in Grand Rapids branding the former lawmaker’s actions as a breach of the public trust, the jury was not swayed, delivering a not guilty verdict after less than two hours of deliberation.
Inman's defense had argued that he was innocent and that his actions were constitutionally protected speech. "He was innocent when he walked into the courthouse and he was innocent when he walked out. We are happy he is still innocent because he did nothing and the jury knew that," Inman's lawyer, Parker Douglas, told Michigan Advance. The case had gone to the second trial after a 2019 jury acquitted him of lying to the FBI but deadlocked on the other charges—leading to the eventual overturning by the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals of a decision to dismiss the remaining charges.
U.S. Attorney Mark Totten expressed his disappointment but reaffirmed his office's commitment to combating such conduct, saying, "While I respectfully disagree with this outcome, today’s verdict does not deter my commitment to fight public corruption with impartiality and safeguard the public’s trust in our democracy," according to a statement given to The Detroit News. This case comes as public corruption trials remain infrequent in the western side of Michigan, with far fewer convictions when compared to the eastern part, particularly in the Detroit area. The corruption charges Inman faced hinged on text messages he purportedly sent to union lobbyists, which federal prosecutors presented as evidence of an attempt to secure illicit funds in exchange for legislative support. However, Inman has maintained that he did not recall sending the texts due to an opioid addiction following surgeries, as covered by the Detroit Free Press.
Inman's acquittal closes a controversial chapter of Michigan's political history, leaving unanswered questions about the intersection of campaign finance, lobbying, and the legislative process. Meanwhile, the former lawmaker who served in the House from 2015 to 2020 can now move forward without the specter of federal charges looming over him. "He feels vindicated because this has been a very long struggle for him. And he's never said anything other than that he is not guilty of these charges, and I think the jury believed that," defense attorney James Fisher told the Detroit Free Press. The case's conclusion signifies a critical moment of reflection for political accountability and the mechanisms designed to maintain its integrity.
