Flushing Township Supervisor Schwieman plans to sue recall organizer

FLUSHING TOWNSHIP, Michigan — Supervisor Don Schwieman said he will sue the man organizing the recall attempt against him.

Schwieman said that he plans to file a lawsuit early next week against recall organizer Gerry Wood, a Flushing Township resident and former township supervisor.

Schwieman said he will sue for slander and defamation but declined further comment until the suit is filed.

Schwieman’s attorney, Chris Christenson, has already issued a letter to Wood telling him to “cease and desist immediately” with the dissemination of the recall petitions, which the letter says contains “defamatory statements.”

“Your continued dissemination of the information included on the recall petition is tantamount to a libelous and slanderous action,” Christenson wrote. “This is to advise that several of the statements which you have included on the recall petition are, in fact, absolutely and unequivocally false.”

Wood’s attorney, Jeremy Piper, said he has seen Christenson’s letter and said Wood shouldn’t be sued for libel for criticizing the government.

“Gerry Wood is a very concerned citizen of Flushing Township and he recently exercised his rights as a citizen to conduct a recall of an elected official,” said Piper.