LIVINGSTON COUNTY — Republican State Rep. Bob Bezotte has been disqualified from the August ballot following a May 3 decision from the Livingston County Clerk.
In a letter to Bezotte, Clerk Elizabeth Hundley said he didn't provide evidence the address listed on his Affidavit of Identity was accurate.
More: 'Disappointed': Will Bezotte be disqualified? Livingston County Clerk to decide
Hundley declined to provide additional comment.
The inaccuracy came to light when Dan Wholihan , husband of same-seat candidate Kristina Lyke, filed a complaint alleging Bezotte had falsified his home address when he filed to run for re-election.
Wholihan claimed "(it's) known” that Bezotte spent “much of the last five months” in Arizona or Illinois and, when he was home, he stayed at the mailing address he provided — the home of one of his daughters.
In a response affidavit, Bezotte said he hasn't been a resident of either state in the past five months and does not own or rent property there. He said he has three sisters — two who live in Illinois and one who lives in Arizona — that he visited over the holidays and again since the current legislative session started Jan. 10.
Bezotte said the reason for those visits was a sister’s poor health.
Bezotte’s estranged wife, Shelia , signed a separate affidavit confirming her husband has not lived in their marital home since the end of December. The couple is currently going through a divorce.
In her divorce filings, Shelia alleged emotional, mental and physical abuse from her husband, first reported by the Detroit News.
In her affidavit, Shelia said she has safety concerns over Bezotte listing their home as his residence, fearing he may re-enter it.
Bezotte has denied the allegations.
The only part of Bezotte's affidavit that addresses the issue of his actual residence is his fifth and final statement, “I am currently a resident of Howell, MI, where I have continuously lived for over 25 years.”
He did not say whether he's living at the home he previously shared with his wife, or if he's living at the mailing address he provided.
Bezotte’s lawyer, Cole Lussier, responded to the accusation in a letter on May 1, in which he claimed Bezotte complied with Michigan law by listing both addresses, though he implied Bezotte may have listed them in the wrong box on the form.
Susbcribe: Get all your breaking news and unlimited access to our local coverage
“In this case, Rep. Bezotte clearly and accurately listed the address of the location where he allegedly lives. An AOI that accurately lists the alleged address — even if not in the right section of the form — is not a legal basis to prohibit a candidate from appearing on the ballot.”
Bezotte did not immediately respond to The Daily’s request for comment. Also running for the seat are Republicans Lyke and Jason Woolford (whom Bezotte previously endorsed before deciding to re-run) and Dominic Restuccia, plus Democrat Austin Breuer.
— Contact reporter Tess Ware at tware@livingstondaily.com . Follow her on Twitter @tess_journalist.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: After last-minute run, Bezotte has been disqualified from the ballot
Most Popular
Comments / 0