Prosecutor Eli Savit's Campaign Travel Costs Taxpayers

Records show Savit used government gas card for campaign events during attorney general bid.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 5:19am

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A dimly lit city street scene with a solitary government vehicle parked, the faint glow of streetlights casting long shadows across the pavement, conceptually illustrating the ethical concerns around a political candidate's use of public resources.The use of taxpayer-funded resources for political campaigning raises ethical questions about a candidate's commitment to transparent and accountable governance.Today in Detroit

Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit has been using a government-issued gas card to fuel his travels to and from campaign events for his bid to become Michigan's next attorney general, according to internal county records obtained by The Detroit News.

Why it matters

This raises questions about the appropriate use of public resources for political campaigning, as well as Savit's commitment to ethical governance as he seeks the state's top law enforcement position.

The details

The Detroit News compared the location of gas station purchases made with Savit's government gas card to the locations of his campaign events, finding a pattern of the card being used for fuel during his travels to and from these political activities.

  • Savit has been using the government gas card since launching his attorney general campaign.

The players

Eli Savit

Washtenaw County Prosecutor who is running for Michigan Attorney General.

The Detroit News

The news publication that obtained the internal county records and reported on Savit's use of the government gas card.

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What they’re saying

“Prosecutors should be focused on keeping communities safe, not using taxpayer resources for political gain.”

— Unnamed source, Critic of Savit's actions

What’s next

The county is reviewing Savit's use of the gas card and may take disciplinary action if the rules were violated.

The takeaway

This incident raises ethical concerns about a candidate for Michigan's top law enforcement position and the appropriate use of public resources for political campaigning.