MI Democrat Ends Campaign After Troubling Past Surfaces: Reports

MICHIGAN — Democrat Maurice Imhoff ended his campaign for a state house seat after a person accused him on social media of threatening to shoot up schools he attended as a student, according to a report from the Detroit Free Press.

"I've been suspended, arrested and convicted of things of which I am not proud," Imhoff said in a statement posted to Facebook. "Who I was is not who I am today, but I find myself confronting it on this campaign. Over the last week, I've done a lot of soul-searching, speaking with family, friends and supporters of my campaign."

Police reports indicated that Imhoff was investigated in connection to the threats, and even charged with a "false report or threat of terrorism" in 2016 by Jackson County Police, according to the Detroit News.

After the allegations surfaced, numerous top Democrats, including House Minority Leader Donna Lasinski, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other prominent Democrats pulled their support from Imhoff.

"These allegations are disturbing and we take them with the utmost seriousness," Lasinski said in a statement. "The Michigan House Democratic Campaign will not be supporting Maurice Imhoff’s campaign for State Representative."

Imhoff, 20, said he will give his campaign funds to Washtenaw County organizations, such as Rise Above and other groups that help give back to the community with support programs.

"This decision did not come lightly, and I cannot express the amount of appreciation I have for those who have helped me change, grow and heal," Imhoff said. "I hope to continue to give back to Jackson in the future because this community has made me who I am today."

Imhoff, 20, was running for a newly drawn state seat in Washtenaw County that includes Jackson and Chelsea. If he was elected in a district that slightly leans Democratic, he would have been the youngest elected state official in Michigan's history. Republican candidate Kathy Schmaltz is likely to win the seat in November.

Read the full story at the Detroit Free Press