Michigan prosecutor issues charge against attorney entangled in Nessel ethics complaint
Traci Kornak faces three felony charges for allegedly embezzling up to $140,000 from a vulnerable elderly adult, sparking renewed scrutiny of the 2022 investigation closure by the Attorney General's office.
- On Jan. 28, 2026, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker authorized three felony charges against Belmont attorney Traci Michele Kornak, the county news release said.
- Kent County Sheriff's Office files indicate Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Adult Protective Services and a nursing‑home whistleblower prompted a probe that began Jan. 9, 2023.
- The charging information states Kornak faces charges including embezzlement of $50,000 or more but less than $100,000, with potential sentences up to 15 years, and $242,537 in alleged transfers from GOP records.
- Kornak is scheduled for arraignment Feb. 17 in the 63rd District Court in Grand Rapids, amid House Oversight Committee hearings as recently as Jan. 27 criticizing Attorney General Dana Nessel's probe.
- Kornak's political ties include serving as Michigan Democratic Party treasurer from 2019 to May 2025 and donating $7,150 to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's reelection campaign, while Attorney General Dana Nessel's Office said its 2022 probe of insurance fraud by two divisions found no criminal wrongdoing.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Kent County prosecutor announces charges against Nessel associate
Ex-Dem official charged with embezzling up to $100K from wealthy elderly woman
A prominent Democratic operative and former aide to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has been hit with serious criminal charges, fueling GOP accusations of misconduct at the AG's office.Belmont attorney Traci Kornak, a former treasurer of the Michigan Democratic Party, has been charged with two counts of embezzlement and one count of false pretenses stemming from her handling of finances for Rosalene Burd, an 86-year-old wealthy western Mic…
Former Michigan Democratic Party official charged with embezzling from vulnerable adult
Greenleaf123/Getty ImagesThe Kent County Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday charged Traci Kornak, an attorney who once served as the Michigan Democratic Party’s treasurer and is an associate of Attorney General Dana Nessel, with the embezzlement of money from a vulnerable adult to whom she was a conservator, charges that could net Kornak up to 15 years in prison. Chris Becker, the county’s prosecutor, held a press conference Wednesday morning to a…
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