Subpoenas Issued in Hangar42 Investigation

Michigan Film Office Director Janet Lockwood said she has received a subpoena as part of the Michigan Attorney General's investigation of movie studio Hangar42, according to WWMT-TV3 in Grand Rapids.

Communications Specialist Kathy Hoekstra told WWMT "We're thrilled to see people starting to pay close attention to the administration of these types of tax subsidies."

Mackinac Center Legal Foundation Director Patrick J. Wright last week called for an inquiry, which Attorney General Mike Cox announced a day later. The Mackinac Center was the first to publicly raise questions about the Hangar42 deal with an essay and video posted on its website May 20 after a months-long investigation by Hoekstra and Fiscal Policy Director Michael LaFaive.

Lockwood in an e-mail obtained through a Freedom of Information Act Request agreed with Center analysts that Hangar42's request for a state film subsidy is questionable.

Chris Knape of The Grand Rapids Press reports that investigators from the Attorney General's office were at the Michigan Film Office for two days collecting information for its investigation.

Permission to reprint this blog post in whole or in part is hereby granted, provided that the author (or authors) and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy are properly cited.