Dana's Dispatch: cryptocurrency scams, proposed change to blood donation policy, a crackdown on egg sales, & more!

[logo]( Man sentenced to 6–15 years for 2013 sex assaults in Kzoo County The man who pleaded guilty last month to raping two Kalamazoo County women a decade ago has been sentenced. Michael Vincenzo Johnson, 30, raped two women in 2013, according to the Michigan Department of Attorney General. The state says the first assault happened against an 18-year-old at WMU in January 2013. The second was committed against a 16-year-old in Augusta a month later. Johnson was arrested nine years later during an investigation conducted by the Kalamazoo Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) program, according to the state of Michigan. Johnson pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault in the third degree last month. “I applaud the members of Kalamazoo SAKI and participating law enforcement agencies in Michigan and Wyoming for facilitating this plea and being instrumental in removing a predator from our streets,” says Attorney General Dana Nessel. “The courage of these victims was essential in order to pursue this case. We look forward to continuing our ongoing work with Kalamazoo SAKI in bringing the perpetrators of sexual assault to justice.” [READ MORE]( Fox 17 (March 27, 2023) Man sentenced to 6–15 years for 2013 sex assaults in Kzoo County Retrieved from: [Man sentenced to 6–15 years for 2013 sex assaults in Kzoo County](   Court of Appeals affirms lower court dismissal of 2020 election challenge The Michigan Court of Appeals issued an opinion on Thursday affirming the Court of Claims’ order granting summary disposition and dismissing the complaint in Ryan v. Benson, one of the last outstanding challenges related to Michigan’s 2020 election, Attorney General Dana Nessel announced. “My department is committed to defending Michigan’s elections and election results against baseless accusations which seek to undermine faith in our democracy,” Nessel said. “We will continue to safeguard the will of the voters against meritless attacks such as this one.” The suit, first filed in October 2020, claimed in part that private grant money awarded to local governments running elections – specifically grants awarded by the Center for Technology & Civic Life –violated Equal Protection rights, and that the Secretary of State should have prevented local election officials from accepting the grants or required them to return the funds. But documents produced during the litigation revealed the plaintiffs each resided in jurisdictions benefitted by private grant funding in the 2020 election cycle, and Court of Claims Judge Thomas Cameron dismissed their complaint as moot. The subsequent passage of Proposal 2-22 expressly granted local election officials discretion on whether to accept and use private funds to conduct and administer elections. In their opinion, the Court of Appeals wrote that “even if plaintiffs’ claims were not moot before and even if plaintiffs had standing to raise those claims, plaintiffs’ claims are most surely moot now and the issue of standing is no longer relevant.” Nessel said this is the first time any Michigan court has had occasion to look at the new Const 1963, art 2, sec 4(3) which resulted from Proposal 2-22’s passage. [READ MORE]( Iosco County News-Herald (March 27, 2023) Court of Appeals affirms lower court dismissal of 2020 election challenge Retrieved from: [Court of Appeals affirms lower court dismissal of 2020 election challenge](   AG Nessel, Michigan State Police Warn Of Cryptocurrency Scams Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and the Michigan State Police (MSP) Cyber Section are joining together to highlight the dangers of cryptocurrency scams. Fraudsters using crypto scams commonly target older and vulnerable adults, but Michiganders of all ages have been victimized by these scams. Photo by: Michigan Department of Attorney General Cryptocurrency is a digital currency. Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) are the most common types of cryptocurrency, but there are thousands of types of cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency can be purchased online via a cryptocurrency exchange or with cash at Crypto Kiosks or Bitcoin ATMs. Cryptocurrency is not illegal, but scammers often take advantage of cryptocurrency and use it as a tool to steal from others. “Cryptocurrency is a new, complex market that causes confusion among even seasoned investors, and bad actors are exploiting this arena to victimize people of all ages,” said Nessel. “Residents should be wary of unsolicited requests from strangers on the phone or internet, and especially requests to make bank withdrawals or deposits at cryptocurrency kiosks or Bitcoin ATMs.” Nessel warns that legitimate cryptocurrency investment opportunities will not come from people you do not know sending offers to invest by sending money using Facebook or other social media platforms. Be cautious about any investment opportunities requiring the use of a specific website, as “cryptocurrency investment” gains can easily be faked by anyone who can design their own website. [READ MORE]( Jack Hall, Radio Results Network (March 29, 2023) AG Nessel, Michigan State Police Warn Of Cryptocurrency Scams Retrieved from: [AG Nessel, Michigan State Police Warn Of Cryptocurrency Scams](   Bipartisan attorneys general coalition urges U.S. Congress support right-to-repair law Twenty-seven states’ attorneys general are asking Congress to pass Right-to-Repair legislation that they say will protect consumers, farmers and small businesses as inflation increases. Image courtesy of The Center Square (Berns Images/Shutterstock.com) The bipartisan coalition’s letter said Right-to-Repair legislation targeted at automobiles, agricultural equipment and digital electronic equipment is about ensuring consumers have choices about where, when and at what cost they can get repairs, as well as ensuring small businesses can compete against original equipment manufacturers. In last year’s Congressional session, legislators introduced the Fair Repair Act (H.R. 4006), the Saving Money on Auto Repair Transportation Act (the SMART Act) (H.R. 3664), and the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair Act (REPAIR Act) (H.R. 6570), but the bills didn’t move forward in the House, despite public support, the letter said. The Fair Repair Act requires original equipment manufacturers to make documentation, parts and tools available to independent repair providers and device owners to repair products. Vehicles and medical devices are excluded. The SMART Act allows repair shops to use alternative or off-brand parts to repair vehicles, saving consumers money, the letter said. The REPAIR Act requires original equipment manufacturers to provide vehicle owners with data on the vehicle’s operation related to diagnostics, repair, calibration and service that they’d be able to provide to a repair shop or retain. OEMs couldn’t mandate specific brands be used on a vehicle. "The monopoly on repairs hurts consumers,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement. “Original Equipment Manufacturers restrict competition for repair services by limiting the availability of parts, making diagnostic software unavailable, or using adhesives that make parts difficult to replace, all of which can result in higher product and repair prices.” [READ MORE]( Mary Stroka, The Center Square (March 28, 2023) Bipartisan attorneys general coalition urges U.S. Congress support right-to-repair law Retrieved from: [Bipartisan attorneys general coalition urges U.S. Congress support right-to-repair law](   12 attorneys general urge federal government to ensure asylum access Twelve attorneys general are urging the federal government to ensure access to asylum as the immigration program known as Title 42 will end in May. The coalition says the current asylum proposed rule is inconsistent with the Immigration and Nationality Act and could potentially harm already asylum seekers and the states that welcome them. In the [comment letter]( the coalition urges the federal government to continue to explore commonsense solutions to protect access to asylum. “Making the asylum process more difficult is not how we should be treating refugees arriving on our borders,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a statement. “Those who flee violent or oppressive nations are trying to arrive in a safe place as expeditiously as possible. Their eligibility for asylum should not be dependent on the routes they take to achieve that safety. Asylees can be successfully integrated into our state workforces and can make significant contributions to businesses during this time of labor shortages. They should not face increased barriers in trying to do so. In 2022 alone, Michigan was one of the top four states in refugees resettled nationwide after California, Texas, and New York. I stand firmly with my colleagues in asking DOJ and DHS to preserve the right-to-asylum provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act.” Under the current proposed rule, the federal government, in light of an anticipated increase in border asylum claims when Title 42 is set to end on May 11, 2023, would largely require migrants to follow the rules specified pathways to secure protection in the United States. [READ MORE]( Scott McClallen, The Center Square (March 29, 2023) 12 attorneys general urge federal government to ensure asylum access Retrieved from: [12 attorneys general urge federal government to ensure asylum access](   AG Nessel supports federal change to blood donation policy The current policy forbids gay and bisexual men from donating blood if they had sex less than three months prior. Photo by: Michigan Department of Attorney General Attorney General Dana Nessel voiced her support for a newly proposed blood donation policy that would lower barriers for the LGBTQ+ community. The federal policy currently prevents gay and bisexual men from making blood donations in less than three months after having sex. Nessel’s office calls the current policy “outdated” and stigmatizing. “Each day, the U.S. needs approximately 36,000 units of red blood cells, nearly 7,000 units of platelets, and 10,000 units of plasma. The COVID-19 pandemic depleted the blood supply down to record levels and the Biden Administration’s common-sense approach to screening donors can help replenish it,” says Nessel. “I stand with my colleagues in supporting the FDA and the U.S. Health and Human Services Departments in replacing the outdated gender- and sexuality-based donor screening with a risk-based approach.” [READ MORE]( Fox 17 (March 31, 2023) AG Nessel supports federal change to blood donation policy Retrieved from: [AG Nessel supports federal change to blood donation policy](   Michigan AG asks Kroger to properly label eggs from caged chickens Call it a crackdown on egg sales. Photo courtesy of MLive (NJ Advance Media file photo, Patti Sapone) Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office is urging Kroger, the major grocery chain, to clear up alleged misleading descriptions of eggs on store shelves. “On behalf of Michigan consumers, I urge you to add clear signage to your stores to help consumers understand which eggs, exactly, came from caged chickens and which did not,” corporate oversight chief Jason Evans wrote to Kroger’s CEO, “so as to help them be able to make informed choices on how they spend their hard-earned dollars. In today’s inflationary environment, they deserve at least that.” Evans was referencing a February report from Data For Progress, a liberal think tank, pollster and political advocacy group. It alleges Kroger is misleading shoppers into buying eggs from hens in cages after pledging in 2016 to sell exclusively cage-free eggs by 2025. “Grocery shoppers throughout the state should be able to decipher and trust the advertising in whichever grocer they shop,” AG Dana Nessel said in a statement. “Grocers must be transparent and honest in their in-store marketing.” [READ MORE]( Ben Orner, MLive (March 31, 2023) Michigan AG asks Kroger to properly label eggs from caged chickens Retrieved from: [Michigan AG asks Kroger to properly label eggs from caged chickens](   KEEP IN TOUCH WITH DANA: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Web Site]( Any donor history information in this email reflects what we have on file for this specific email address. If you have donated with a different email address, with a check, or with a spouse – thank you so much. We have that on file and cannot thank you enough for your support. Paid for by Friends of Dana Nessel Friends of Dana Nessel P.O. 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