On February 21, 2025, the Kent County Prosecutor’s Office staff indulged in a partially taxpayer-funded team building event at BattleGR Tactical Games complete with fowling, cornhole, food service, and yes, a bartender. And while it wasn’t laser tag, the outing was still dually funded by Chris Becker’s campaign finance funds and taxpayers.
Thanks to a recent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, I now have the receipts; dozens of emails showing the internal coordination of this office-wide “winter event,” including waiver links, RSVP confirmations, and reminders that if employees wanted to drink alcohol, they should use personal time.
The disclaimer in particular is of importance for context: “if you wish to consume adult beverages, please use PTO or vacation time.”
And a particularly noteworthy response comes from a Victim Witness Advocate:
A Timeline of Fun—On Your Dime?
The FOIA documents reveal a well-organized office party with near-total participation from Becker’s team. Prosecutors, victim advocates, legal clerks, and administrators all enthusiastically responded “ME!” to the invite. The event was scheduled during standard work hours, 2 to 4 PM on a Friday.
Prosecutors, Becker included, consistently complain that they are not only understaffed, but underfunded; so why are they being paid to shirk their responsibilities for two hours?
Also worth noting is that multiple staff members have donated to Chris’ campaign, including his office manager.
This wasn’t a quick lunch or morale booster in the conference room. It was a full-blown recreational outing at a business specializing in “competitive team-building combat simulation.”
The optics are impossible to ignore: while survivors, defendants, and the public wait weeks or months for responses, or worse, are outright denied charges in hate crimes cases, the office that holds people’s lives in its hands was rolling foam bowling balls and sipping cocktails under blacklights.
What’s the Harm?
Some might argue that office morale matters and that team bonding builds efficiency. But in a prosecutor’s office, especially one like Kent County’s with a history of controversial cases and public criticism, perception matters just as much as policy.
This isn’t about snacks and games, it’s about:
- Priorities: When victims struggle to get updates or defense attorneys face radio silence, it’s fair to ask whether resources are being misallocated.
- Ethics: Public servants enjoying “optional” events during work hours is one thing, doing so with access to alcohol and ambiguity about time-off policies is another. Don’t forget that Chris Becker used Campaign Finance Funds to foot the bill.
- Transparency: This event came to light not through voluntary disclosure, but through a meddling investigative journalist seeing something weird on a Campaign Finance Form and submitting a FOIA request. Why wasn’t it reported? Why the secrecy? Because they know exactly how it all looks.
Context: A Pattern of Deflection…
Chris Becker’s office has already come under fire for selectively charging marginalized individuals while cutting deals for the well-connected. Meanwhile, internal dissent is met with retaliation, and questions from the public are routinely stonewalled.
The BattleGR event isn’t an isolated blip. It’s a symbol of casual insularity, of a culture that prioritizes in-group camaraderie over public accountability.
…And a Pattern of Office Parties
The verbiage in the emails led me to believe this isn’t the first time it’s happened and I was correct.
Michigan Campaign Finance Law states incidental office expenses are “ordinary and necessary expenditures paid or incurred in carrying out the business of an office” citing training or travel, not team building activities.
Pulling it Together
No one begrudges public employees a little downtime, but when an entire prosecutor’s office blocks off two hours for bar games in the middle of a Friday, it sends a message.
And when that same office demands the strictest punishment for defendants who can’t afford a mistake, while shielding itself from consequences, that message is hypocrisy.
So we got the receipts, what’s next? Clutch has filed a Michigan Campaign Finance Complaint, and we’ll keep you posted every step of the way.
Have tips on prosecutorial misconduct? Contact clutch.
