Former Michigan Republican Rep. Larry Inman was acquitted on all counts involving bribery and extortion Thursday after a second corruption trial, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Inman, 69, was charged in 2019 for allegedly soliciting a bribe, attempted extortion, and lying to federal investigators, according to the Detroit Free Press. Authorities had previously claimed that the former GOP lawmaker had sought campaign donations from the state’s unions, such as Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters, in exchange for them to vote “no” on a wage law requiring unions to pay prevailing wages on most public projects, the outlet reported. (RELATED: New Michigan Poll Shows Dem, GOP Candidates Neck And Neck For Open Senate Seat)
A jury in 2019 had originally found Inman not guilty of lying to investigators, however, they could not reach a verdict regarding the remaining counts forcing the trial to go into a second hearing, Detroit Free Press reported. An attorney for the lawmaker, James Fisher, told the outlet that Inman was “glad” to have the case behind him, emphasizing that he felt “vindicated.”
“I think he’s very glad to have this behind him,” Fisher stated. “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.”
Former GOP state Rep. Larry Inman acquitted of federal corruption charges https://t.co/dvpOYbOwGx
— The Detroit News (@detroitnews) January 12, 2024
The jury had allegedly debated for 45 minutes before reaching their final verdict on Thursday, contrasting the first hearing that had the jury in deliberation for 10 hours over two days, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Michigan State Rep. Josh Schriver Crafting Policy To Strip Tax-Exemption From ‘Non-Theistic’ Religions)
Inman served as a Michigan representative from 2015 to 2020, however, Fisher stated that he does not believe the lawmaker will be getting back into politics even after the acquittal.
“I think it’ll be very hard for him to get back involved in politics after this just because he’s struggled through this whole entire process,” Fisher told the Detroit Press. “I hope the people that he represented see this and look at him in a positive way. I think he is a good man who deserves to be credited for what he did for his constituents.”
During Inman’s time, the GOP-controlled Michigan Legislature ended up repealing the prevailing wage law in 2018, however, it was reinstated by Democrats after taking control of both the House and Senate. The prevailing law is expected to go back into effect in March.