Brian Banks (politician)

Brian Roderick Banks
Member of the Michigan House of Representatives
from the 1st district
In office
January 1, 2013 – February 6, 2017
Preceded byTim Bledsoe
Succeeded byTenisha Yancey
Personal details
Born (1976-11-15) November 15, 1976
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
EducationWayne State University (BS, MEd)
Michigan State University (JD)
WebsiteOfficial

Brian Roderick Banks (born November 15, 1976) is an American politician who served as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 2013 to 2017. Banks was a candidate for the 2nd District of the Michigan Senate in 2018. He has been convicted of eight felonies related to writing bad checks and credit card fraud.

Education

A high school dropout, Banks later received his GED.[1] Banks earned a Bachelor of Science degree and Master of Education from Wayne State University, followed by a Juris Doctor from the Michigan State University College of Law.[1][2]

Career

Early career

Banks's campaign website previously stated that he was on staff at the law firm Rodnick, Unger and Kaner, P.C. and was an adjunct professor at Baker College.[3] An employee at Rodnick, Unger and Kaner, P.C. told the Huffington Post that while Banks briefly worked at the firm as a law clerk, he left after only a few months.[4]

Michigan House of Representatives

Banks defeated Scott Benson by 96 votes to win the 2012 Democratic primary for the 1st district of the Michigan House of Representatives.[5] During the 2012 general election, the Grosse Pointe Democrats refused to endorse Banks.[6] He won again in the 2014 primary, receiving 42% of the vote.[7][8] During the August 2016 primary election, which he won, Banks ran against attorney Pamela Sossi.[9]

As the chair of the Detroit Caucus, Banks was able to enlist the help of Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan,[10] other lawmakers and interest groups in Lansing to raise $140,545,[11] second most of all candidates facing Primary challengers.[12]

During the November 8 general election, Banks received 66 percent of the vote over engineer William Broman, his Republican challenger.[13]

Resignation

On February 6, 2017, Bank plead guilty to the misdemeanor charge of filing a false statement about financial conditions. As part of the plea deal, the felony charges against him were dropped and he resigned from office.[14][15] On February 16, 2017, Governor Rick Snyder called a special election to fill his seat.[16]

2018 Michigan Senate election

In August 2017, Banks filed candidate paperwork to run for the Michigan State Senate 2nd District seat in anticipation of a resignation by Bert Johnson, who has been federally indicted for corruption.[17] In the election, which took place in August 2018, Banks lost to first-time candidates Adam Hollier and Abraham Aiyash.[18]

2022 Wayne County Commission election

In 2022 Banks ran in the August Democratic primary to represent District 1 on the Wayne County Commission, listing his address as a post office box in Grosse Pointe.[19] Incumbent Commissioner Tim Killeen defeated Banks in the primary election by 61.6% to 38.1%.[20]

Business

In 2019 Banks was hired to recruit students for Promise Schools, a company running a K-8 school for the School District of the City of Highland Park.[21]

Since 1998 Banks has been convicted of eight felonies for writing bad checks and credit card fraud, and one misdemeanor.[22]

Sexual harassment

In 2013 Banks was sued for sexual harassment by a former aid.[23] The lawsuit was later settled for $11,950.[24]

Fraud

On June 28, 2016, Banks was charged with three felonies and one misdemeanor by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette over documents he falsified to obtain a personal loan in June 2010.[25] He was formally arraigned in Circuit Court on August 23.[26] Banks filed a suit to have the prosecutor's office removed from the case, his lawyer claiming that the charges were "politically motivated" in nature.[27] His suit was dropped.[28] On February 6, 2017, Banks pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of filing false financial statements[29][30] and resigned from office as part of a plea deal to avoid felony charges.[25] He was sentenced to time served.[31] Banks announced his formal resignation in Wayne County Circuit Court on February 6, 2017.[32]

Electoral history

2012 Michigan 1st House District Primary Election[5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Brian Banks 2,304 30
Democratic Scott Benson 2,208 29
Democratic Christopher Cavanagh 1,275 17
Democratic Valerie Kindle 1,235 16
Democratic Gregory Robinson 450 6
2012 Michigan 1st House District General Election[33]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Brian Banks 27,843 70
Republican Dan Schulte 11,489 29
2014 Michigan 1st House District Primary Election[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Brian Banks 3,140 42
Democratic Rebecca Thompson 2,645 36
Democratic Michael Koester 813 11
Democratic Taryn Jones 296 4
Democratic Harry Scott 159 2
Democratic Paul Fillmore 152 2
Democratic Corey Gilchrist 123 1
2014 Michigan 1st House District General Election[8][34]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Brian Banks 15,992 67.27
Republican John Hauler 7,782 32.73
2016 Michigan 1st House District Primary Election[35]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Brian Banks 3,293 44
Democratic Pamela Sossi 2,618 36
Democratic Washington Youson 573 7
Democratic Keith Hollowell 507 5
Democratic Corey Gilchrist 218 2
Democratic Kameshea Amos 211 2
2016 Michigan 1st House District General Election[9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Brian Banks 24,947 68
Republican William Broman 11,558 31
2018 Michigan 2nd Senate District Primary Election[36]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Adam Hollier 6,927 25
Democratic Abraham Aiyash 5,764 21
Democratic Brian Banks 4,719 17
Democratic Regina Williams 2,592 9
Democratic LaMar Lemmons III 2,505 9
Democratic John Olumba 1,730 6
Democratic George Cushingberry 1,116 4
Democratic Anam Miah 931 3
Democratic Lawrence Gannan 555 2
Democratic William Phillips 328 1
Democratic Tommy Campbell 264 0
2022 Wayne County Commission District 1 Primary Election[20]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tim Killeen 9,312 62
Democratic Brian Banks 5,765 38

See also

References

  1. ^ a b MacDonald, Mara (February 8, 2017). "Former Michigan Rep. Brian Banks speaks after pleading guilty to making false financial statements". WDIV. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  2. ^ "Brian Banks". Ballotpedia. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  3. ^ "Brian Banks, Michigan State House Candidate, Has Eight Felony Convictions". Huffington Post. September 28, 2012.
  4. ^ David Sands (October 3, 2012). "Brian Banks' Bio On Campaign Website For Michigan State House Scrubbed Of Law Firm Employment". Huffington Post.
  5. ^ a b "Election Summary Report Primary Election - August 7th, 2012". Michigan Department of State. August 7, 2012. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  6. ^ "State House Candidate Brian Banks Evicted from Harper Woods Homes". Grosse Pointe Patch. November 2, 2012.
  7. ^ a b "Election Summary Report Primary Election - August 5th, 2014". Michigan Department of State. August 5, 2014. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  8. ^ a b "Election Summary Report General Election - November 4th, 2014". Michigan Department of State. November 4, 2014. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  9. ^ a b "Election Summary Report General Election - November 8th, 2016". Michigan Department of State. November 8, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  10. ^ "Despite legal challenges, Brian Banks wins primary fight". Lansing State Journal.
  11. ^ "Where the money falls in Michigan's most crowded state House primaries". M Live. July 27, 2016.
  12. ^ "Early Numbers: The Top Fundraiser Won 70 Percent Of Contested Michigan House Primary Races". Michigan Campaign Finance Network.
  13. ^ "Banks earns victory; GOP splits key races in Wayne Co". Detroit News.
  14. ^ "State Rep. Brian Banks resigns in plea deal over falsified documents". Detroit Free Press.
  15. ^ "Banks resigns state seat then sends fund-raising e-mail". Detroit Free Press.
  16. ^ "Snyder calls election; officials say Banks can't run". Detroit News.
  17. ^ "Ex-Rep. Brian Banks running for state Senate". Detroit News.
  18. ^ "Possible Knezek upset tops troubled Wayne County election results". Crain’s Detroit. August 8, 2018.
  19. ^ "August 2, 2022 Primary Election Unofficial Candidate List" (PDF). Office of the Wayne County Clerk.
  20. ^ a b "Election Summary Report August 2, 2022 - Primary Election Wayne County, Michigan". Wayne County Clerk.
  21. ^ Elrick, M.L. (October 21, 2019). "8-time felon and former state rep Brian Banks paid to recruit students for Highland Park". Fox 2 Detroit. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  22. ^ "Detroiters Elect Ex-Con Brian Banks As State Rep". CBS 62 Detroit. November 7, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  23. ^ Burns, Gus (May 22, 2013). "Legislative aide sues Detroit Rep. Brian Banks for sexual harassment". mlive.com. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  24. ^ Gray, Kathleen (January 4, 2016). "Former staffer of Rep. Brian Banks settles lawsuit". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  25. ^ a b Helms, Matt; Zaniewski, Ann (February 6, 2017). "State Rep. Brian Banks resigns in plea deal over falsified documents". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  26. ^ Robert Allen (August 9, 2016). "Witness: State Rep. Brian Banks faked pay stubs for loan". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  27. ^ "Brian Banks wants Michigan AG disqualified from case". Detroit Free Press.
  28. ^ "State Rep. Brian Banks resigns from position, pleads guilty". Fox 2 Detroit. February 6, 2017.
  29. ^ @GongwerMichigan (February 6, 2017). "Under the plea agreement, Rep. Banks will resign immediately with the felony charges dropped. He would plead guilty to a misdemeanor" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  30. ^ Tresa Baldas and Keith Matheny (December 29, 2017). "FBI wiretaps reveal how towing titan Fiore built his empire". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  31. ^ "Schuette: Former State Rep. Brian Banks Sentenced on Charge of Filing False Financial Statements". Michigan Attorney General’s office. February 17, 2017. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  32. ^ @kasbenal (February 6, 2017). "Banks just read his letter of resignation in the court room. Effective today" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  33. ^ "Election Summary Report General Election - November 6th, 2012". Michigan Department of State. November 6, 2012. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  34. ^ "2014 live Michigan election". mlive.com. November 4, 2014. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  35. ^ "Election Summary Report Primary Election - August 2nd, 2016". Michigan Department of State. August 2, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  36. ^ "Michigan Primary Election Results". WDIV 4. July 29, 2018.
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