Snyder Accused of Pardon Favoritism

Governor Rick Snyder is taking some flak for erasing a drunk driving conviction from the record of a politically-connected Detroit-area lawyer. Snyder has admitted to news agencies that he knows Alan Gocha Jr., but says he never talked with him about the conviction, or a potential pardon. Snyder appointed Gocha to an unpaid position on the Michigan Talent Investment Board in 2011. The governor says Gocha has never contributed to his campaign, and that he simply followed the recommendation of the State Parole Board. However, individuals and companies with whom Gocha works have been generous Republican supporters, and Gocha’s pardon is one of only 11 the governor has granted out of more than 700 applications he’s received since he took office. Gocha pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while impaired in 2007 in Oakland County. At the time, he refused to take a Breathalyzer test.