NEWS / Former Michigan Democratic Party treasurer charged with abusing power of attorney

The former treasurer of the Michigan Democratic Party has been charged with embezzling from a vulnerable adult after allegedly sending “inappropriate and unauthorized” invoices to a nursing home for services to an elderly, brain-damaged woman over whom the former treasurer holds power of attorney.

Traci Kornak, the former treasurer, is set to be arraigned on February 17 in the 63rd District Court in Grand Rapids, Deadline Detroit reports. 3 felony charges against Kornak have been filed by Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker: 2 counts of embezzlement and 1 count of false pretenses, Detroit News reports.

Kornak served as the Michigan Democratic Party treasurer between 2019 to 2025. She also worked on the transition team of the state’s current Attorney General, Dana Nessel.

According to Detroit News Columnist Charlie LeDuff’s 2023 reports on the matter, Scott Teter, the director of the Attorney General’s Financial Crimes Division, warned of a potential conflict of interest if Attorney General Nessel were to access information about the investigation on Kornak’s alleged transgressions. However, these warnings were reportedly disregarded by Nessel’s chief investigator and Nessel received 4 reports concerning the investigation on Kornak.

LeDuff went on to claim that Nessel told her solicitor general, Fadwa Hammoud, that the “claims...were never substantiated by our investigation and the case in closed.”

In October 2023, the Attorney General’s office responded with a letter contesting LeDuff’s assertion of a violation of an internal Isolation Wall Notice by Nessel. Detroit News Editor Gary Miles then issued a statement defending LeDuff, claiming that the editorial found “at least two false or misleading statements in the AG office's letter.”

Shortly thereafter, LeDuff was fired by Detroit News after posting the message “See You Next Thursday” aimed at Nessel on social media. The message was perceived to be a backronym for an offensive expletive. LeDuff apologized to Editor Gary Miles but added that he reserves the right to use “the word,” Deadline Detroit reports.

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