When the people of Michigan walk into a courtroom, they expect fairness. They expect impartiality. What they don’t expect is that the very judge presiding over their case may have recently written a check to the prosecutor’s campaign.
But that’s exactly what’s happening in Kent County.
I reviewed campaign finance records showing that three sitting judges, all of whom serve in courts where Prosecutor Chris Becker regularly argues or exerts influence, have donated to Becker’s election committee.
Let’s be clear: this may not violate the letter of Michigan’s judicial ethics code, but it obliterates the spirit of judicial neutrality.
The Receipts: Three Judges, One Prosecutor
Here’s what I found:
Curt Benson
- Occupation: Judge
- Employer: State of Michigan
- Contribution Date: December 13, 2023
- Amount: $20
- Source: Fundraiser donation
- Business Address: 180 Ottawa Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI
Jennifer Faber
- Occupation: Judge
- Employer: State of Michigan
- Contribution Date: December 13, 2023
- Amount: $20
- Source: Fundraiser donation
- Business Address: 180 Ottawa Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI
Jeff O’Hara
- Occupation: Judge
- Employer: Kent County
- Contribution Date: April 30, 2020
- Amount: $250
- Source: Direct contribution
- Business Address: 1950 East Beltline, Grand Rapids, MI
These are not anonymous donors or political activists. They are sitting judges with real influence over cases Becker’s office prosecutes.
The Ethics at Stake
According to Canon 2 of the Michigan Code of Judicial Conduct:
“A judge should avoid all impropriety and appearance of impropriety.”
That should include avoiding political entanglements that could undermine public confidence in the judge’s impartiality. So why are judges handing over campaign cash to the county’s top prosecutor?
Even small-dollar donations like $20 still carry symbolic weight, particularly when given during active election cycles and fundraisers, where presence and loyalty are tracked.
People typically make campaign contributions because they want to have influence over the official; that’s why you see companies like Coca Cola or Pepsi make donations to both parties, they want to make sure they hedge their bets and have control and influence when necessary.
The Power Dynamic Is Not At All Neutral
Think about what happens when a defense attorney walks into court to argue against a prosecutor whose campaign the judge has supported. Can we honestly say that courtroom is free of bias or at least the appearance of it?
These contributions blur the lines between judicial neutrality and political alignment, especially in high-stakes criminal cases where the power of the prosecutor can determine freedom, prison, or death.
The Silence Is Deafening
No judicial disciplinary body has flagged these donations. No public statements have been made by the judges. And Chris Becker’s campaign hasn’t once explained why he’s accepting donations from sitting judges when he full well knows the rules. But then again, so does Karen McDonald; none of them actually care about the rules.
That’s the problem.
The public isn’t supposed to wonder whether their judge is financially aligned with the prosecutor but thanks to Michigan’s loose ethical enforcement and lack of transparency, they have to.
Time to Demand Reform
This isn’t about demonizing judges. It’s about setting boundaries. Prosecutors should not be taking money from judges who rule on their cases. Judges should not be endorsing or supporting the campaigns of attorneys who appear before them—especially in criminal court.
I’m submitting Judicial Tenure Commission complaints for each of the judges involved, but there is still so much work to do.
We need:
- A total ban on donations from sitting judges to prosecutors’ campaigns.
- Mandatory recusal for judges who financially support parties in their courtrooms.
- Public transparency of all judicial campaign contributions and relationships.
The Bottom Line
Chris Becker’s campaign has quietly taken money from the very people who are supposed to check his power, not reinforce it. That’s not justice; it’s collusion-by-donation.
Let’s stop pretending it’s normal. It’s not at all normal when the system is rotten all the way to the core.
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