¶ Overview
- Macomb County Prosecutor Peter (Pete) Lucido was a member of a super PAC created to support the recruitment and campaign of Bouchard while he was still deployed overseas. After Bouchard announced his bid for Congress, Lucido endorsed Bouchard and the two vowed to fight together to improve life for MI-10 residents.
- Lucido had a long history of scandal, beginning in 2020 when he was accused of sexually harassing three women while serving in the Michigan State Senate. The women accused him of inappropriately touching them and making highly suggestive comments about their bodies, causing a Senate investigation to be launched into Lucido’s behavior. The investigation found all three accusations credible and resulted in Lucido’s removal as chair of an influential Senate committee. A year after the investigation, a fourth woman accused Lucido of sexually harassing her.
- Scandal followed Lucido to the Macomb County prosecutor’s office, where in 2022 a report was released accusing Lucido harassing female employees, discriminating against attorneys in the office, and abusing the office’s resources for personal gain. The report, released after an investigation by a Detroit-based law firm recommended he undergo “multiple county-level trainings on civil rights and union rights.”
¶ Bouchard Had A Close Relationship With Scandal Ridden Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido
¶ PETER Lucido Was Part Of The “Draft Captain Mike Bouchard” Super PAC That COnvinced Bouchard To Run FOr Congress
Peter Lucido Was A Member Of The Super PAC Created To Support The Recruitment And Campaign Of Bouchard. According to The Detroit News, “Twenty elected leaders and business people signed on to serve as advisers to the Draft Captain Mike Bouchard committee, a super political action committee, in a show of support for Bouchard, who is currently deployed with the U.S. Army overseas and due back this fall. They're focused on Michigan's 10th District that covers southern Macomb County and Rochester and Rochester Hills in Oakland County, where James is serving his second term but running for governor. Bouchard's supporters include Macomb County Prosecutor Pete Lucido; former Michigan Republican Party Chairman Bobby Schostak; former ambassador David Fischer; Macomb County Treasurer Larry Rocca; and Sheriff Bouchard, as well as business leaders from the construction and automotive industries.” [Detroit News, 7/24/25]
¶ Bouchard Was Endorsed By Lucido And Said He Was “Grateful” To Have His Support
3/5/26: Bouchard Was Endorsed By Lucido. Michael Bouchard tweeted, “Grateful to have the support of Macomb County Prosecutor Pete Lucido! Pete has spent his career protecting families across Macomb County. Together, we’ll keep fighting to make Michigan’s 10th District the best place to live, work and raise a family, and we’ll always put Michigan first.🇺🇸”
[Twitter, @BouchardforMI, 3/5/26] (video)
¶ 2022: Lucido Was Accused Of Harassment, Discrimination And Using County Resources For Personal And Campaign Activities During His Time At The Macomb COunty Prosecutor’s Office
2022: After Facing Credible Allegations Of Sexual Harassment While Serving In The Michigan State Senate, Lucido Had A Sexual Harassment Complaint Filed Against Him By At Least One Employee In His County Prosecutor’s Office. According to the Detroit Metro Times, “Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido, who faced numerous credible allegations of sexual harassment while serving in the state Senate, is now the subject of another claim — this time from at least one employee in his new office. WXYZ-TV confirmed Thursday that the Macomb County government has hired a law firm to investigate ‘complaints alleging unlawful discrimination and/or harassment.’ Lucido was notified of the investigation in February.” [Detroit Metro Times, 3/28/22]
¶ July 2022: A Report Prepared By The Law Firm Butzel Long Found Lucido Committed Several Sexual Harassment And Race-Related Offenses While In The Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office
In A Report Prepared By The Law Firm Butzel Long, Investigators Recommended Lucido Undergo Multiple County-Level Trainings On Civil Rights And Union Rights Based On What They Found. According to the Detroit News, “In a memorandum prepared by Butzel Long and obtained by The Detroit News from the Macomb County corporation counsel's office, investigators recommended Lucido be referred to the Michigan Secretary of State's Office for alleged campaign finance violations and that he undergo multiple county-level trainings on civil rights and union rights.” [Detroit News, 7/12/22]
¶ The Report Alleged Lucido Frequently Made Inappropriate Comments Towards Female Employees
In The Workplace, Lucido Was Accused Of Saying He Would “Like Some Kisses From The Ladies,” That He Made Comments About Women’s Body Parts, And That He Treated Women Staffers In An Offensive Manner. According to the Michigan Advance, “Alleged inappropriate actions and remarks from Lucido include the Republican saying that he would ‘like some kisses from the ladies’ on Valentine’s Day, referring to a female employee as ‘double D,’ getting ‘uncomfortably close’ to a female assistant prosecutor during a meeting, treating female administrative staff ‘like ‘slaves,’ remarking ‘something was off’ about an interviewee which employees understood to suggest that the candidate was gay, referring to Black people as ‘those people’ and more.” [Michigan Advance, 7/12/22]
Nine People During The Investigation Alleged He Treated Female Staff Offensively, And The Treated The Female Administrative Stuff Much Worse. According to the Detroit News, “Nine people said he treated female staff offensively, with one person noting that he could be ‘boisterous' when speaking to male employees, but that he treats female administrative staff much worse.’” [Detroit News, 7/12/22]
¶ The Report Alleged Lucido Made Offensive Remarks About Black People
Lucido Allegedly Wanted To Assign A Black Assistant Prosecutor To The Warrant Division After The “Shelby Five” Incident In Which Five Protesters Were Charged With Felonies Following A Demonstration Against Police Brutality In Shelby Township. According to the Detroit News, “Complaints include accusations that he said during a meeting that he wanted to assign a Black assistant prosecutor to the warrant division after the ‘Shelby Five’ incident, in which five protesters were charged with felonies following a demonstration against police brutality in Shelby Township.” [Detroit News, 7/12/22]
The Report Alleged Lucido Said He Wanted A Black Assistant Prosecuting Attorney In The Role So “Those People” Could Not Complain That Prosecutor Lucido Was Not Being Fair If A Black Attorney Was Making The Decisions. According to the Detroit News, “Lucido wanted a Black assistant prosecuting attorney in the role so ‘those people’ could not complain that Prosecutor Lucido was not being fair if a Black APA was making the decisions,’ according to the report. A Black assistant prosecuting attorney who has requested to be assigned to the warrant division was passed over for another Black assistant prosecutor, the report notes.” [Detroit News, 7/12/22]
¶ 2020: Lucido Was Accused Of Sexual Harassment By Multiple Women During His Time As A Michigan State Senator
¶ 1/15/20: Lucido Told A Michigan Reporter To Hang Around Teenage Boys Because They Could “Have A Lot Of Fun” With Her
1/15/20: Lucido Told Michigan Advance Reporter Allison Donahue She Should Hang Around A Bunch Of Teenage Boys Because They Could “Have A Lot Of Fun” With Her. According to an opinion by Allison Donahue published in the Michigan Advance, “I waited outside the Michigan Senate chamber to ask Sen. Peter Lucido (R-Shelby Twp.) on Tuesday for a comment about the Detroit Metro Times’ story reporting that he was a member of a violent, anti-Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Facebook group, which has since been deleted. What was meant to be an opportunity for Lucido to respond to the report, turned into him making comments that objectified and humiliated me in front of a group of young boys. After the Senate session ended and the chamber cleared out, a line of about 30 boys from Lucido’s alma mater, De La Salle Collegiate, an all boys’ Catholic high school in Warren, stood in front of the Senate doors. I asked Lucido for a moment to address the issue at hand, and he told me he would catch up with me after he was finished honoring the group of students. As I turned to walk away, he asked, ‘You’ve heard of De La Salle, right?’ I told him I hadn’t. ‘It’s an all boys’ school,’ he told me. ‘You should hang around! You could have a lot of fun with these boys, or they could have a lot of fun with you.’ The teenagers burst into an Old Boys’ Network-type of laughter, and I walked away knowing that I had been the punchline of their ‘locker room’ talk.” [Allison Donahue Opinion – Michigan Advance, 1/15/20]
- Lucido Called The Incident With Reporter Allison Donahue A “Misunderstanding” And “Blown Out Of Proportion.” According to BBC, “Allison Donahue, 22, said she felt ‘humiliated’ by the comment Michigan state senator Peter Lucido made when she went to him for comment on a story. His remark was ‘belittling and it came from a place of power’, she said. Mr Lucido, 59, initially told US media the incident was ‘blown out of proportion’, and tweeted an apology for what he called ‘the misunderstanding’. Two state senate leaders have called for an investigation into whether his remarks amounted to sexual harassment.” [BBC, 1/17/20]
Lucido Initially Did Not Deny The Quotes Attributed To Him By Reporter Allison Donahue. According to The Detroit Free Press, “Lucido was asked twice during a Wednesday morning telephone interview by the Free Press whether he had been misquoted. He twice said he was not denying the quotes attributed to him, but he felt they were being taken out of context and out of proportion. He also did not claim to have been misquoted when he issued what he called an apology for a misunderstanding later on Wednesday morning. ‘I apologize for the misunderstanding yesterday (Tuesday) and for offending Allison Donahue,’ Lucido said in the statement, issued midmorning through the Senate GOP and Lucido's Twitter account. Lucido, who is majority caucus whip, also did not say he was misquoted on Tuesday when Donahue told him she found his remarks unprofessional and questioned what he was insinuating by ‘saying that I would have fun with’ the high school students, based on a recording of that exchange.” [Detroit Free Press, 1/18/20]
- After The Michigan Senate Launched A Sexual Harassment Investigation Into Lucido’s Conduct Did Lucido Claim To Have Been Misquoted. According to The Detroit Free Press, “But late Wednesday, after Senate leaders announced an investigation into his conduct, Lucido told both WDIV-TV (Channel 4) and the Washington Post that the quotes attributed to him by the Michigan Advance were not accurate. He also said he was misquoted during a Thursday morning radio interview with host Paul W. Smith on WJR-AM. ‘I said, 'We're going on the (Senate) floor to have some fun; you're welcome to join us,’ Lucido told Channel 4.” [Detroit Free Press, 1/18/20]
The Michigan Senate Launched A Sexual Harassment Investigation Into Lucido’s Conduct With Respect To The Reporter Allison Donahue. According to CNN, “The Democratic and Republican leaders of the Michigan state Senate requested a sexual harassment investigation Wednesday into a Republican senator after a female reporter said he remarked that male high school students could ‘have a lot of fun’ with her. In a letter to the director of the non-partisan Senate Business Office, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and Democratic Minority Leader Jim Ananich requested an investigation of the reporter’s allegations against Senate Majority Whip Peter Lucido ‘promptly and thoroughly.’ ‘Sexual harassment has no place in the Michigan Senate. We take these allegations very seriously and trust that you will take appropriate action to resolve this matter,’ the leaders wrote. The requested probe into Lucido comes as he faces backlash after the reporter, Allison Donahue of the Michigan Advance, published a firsthand account of the Tuesday exchange at the state Capitol.” [CNN, 1/16/20]
¶ 1/21/20: Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow Accused Lucido Of Sexual Harassment
1/21/20: State Senator Mallory McMorrow Filed A Sexual Harassment Charge Against Lucido. According to WLNS 6, “There is word of another scandal involving state Senator Peter Lucido (R-Shelby Township) .This time, the allegations are coming from another lawmaker. On Tuesday, Democratic Senator Mallory McMorrow of Royal Oak filed a sexual harassment charge against Sen. Lucido.” [WLNS 6, 1/21/20]
- McMorrow Alleged When She Was First Introduced To Lucido, He Touched Her Inappropriately And Made A Suggestive Comment About Her Appearance. According to WLNS 6, “‘It was my first time here in Lansing and the first time meeting plenty of my colleagues.’ Said Sen. Mallory McMorrow, (D-Royal Oak). Senator McMorrow, talking about an orientation for new lawmakers. Where she introduced herself to Sen. Lucido ‘He shook my hand, put a hand on the low of my back, grazing my hip and upper rear. And held it there.’ Said McMorrow. McMorrow says Sen. Lucido then asked where she was from and who she ran against. ‘I said I beat my opponent and his response was I can see why.’ McMorrow added. And, after their exchange. ‘It was deflating after running a campaign for a year and half. You know it wasn’t are you qualified for this job, whats your background, how do you feel. In that moment, it felt like a piece of meat. It implied you won because of what you look like.’ McMorrow added.” [WLNS 6, 1/21/20]
Lucido Denied The Allegation And Called It “Completely Untrue And Politically Motivated.” According to WLNS 6, “State Sen. Peter J. Lucido issued the following statement on Tuesday to 6 News in response to an allegation of sexual harassment. ‘I categorically deny this allegation, which I believe is completely untrue and politically motivated.’” [WLNS 6, 1/21/20]
¶ 1/27/20: Melissa Osborn, A Regulatory And Legislative Affairs Specialist For The Michigan Credit Union League, Accused Lucido Of Sexual Harassment
1/27/20: Melissa Osborn, A Regulatory And Legislative Affairs Specialist For The Michigan Credit Union League, Described Receiving Inappropriate And Unwanted Attention From Lucido. According to the Michigan Advance, “On Monday, Melissa Osborn described her experience of having inappropriate and unwanted attention from state Sen. Peter Lucido (R-Shelby Twp.) in an interview on WDET’s ‘Detroit Today’ radio show. Osborn, a regulatory and legislative affairs specialist for the Michigan Credit Union League and affiliates, is the second woman to allege Lucido sexually harassed her since Michigan Advance reporter Allison Donahue’s first-person story on Jan. 15. Donahue’s story detailed sexist comments Lucido made toward her; days later, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak) came forward with her own sexual harassment complaint about Lucido.” [Michigan Advance, 1/28/20]
- Osborn Alleged Lucido Touched Her Inappropriately And Made Suggestive Comments About Her Appearance. According to the Michigan Advance, “Osborn said that her experience was almost identical to that of McMorrow. She alleged that Lucido first made comments about her red hair and then approached her from behind and placed his hand uncomfortably low on her back. Osborn said Lucido kept his hand there for ‘an extended period of time’ as he complimented her dress and told her how much he liked how she looked in it. ‘It was a very uncomfortable and demeaning situation where I didn’t know how to back out of it,’ Osborn said.” [Michigan Advance, 1/28/20]
Lucido Did Not Respond To Multiple Requests To Comment On Osborn’s Allegations. According to the Michigan Advance, “On Monday, Melissa Osborn described her experience of having inappropriate and unwanted attention from state Sen. Peter Lucido (R-Shelby Twp.) in an interview on WDET’s ‘Detroit Today’ radio show. […] Host Stephen Henderson noted his show made multiple attempts to reach Lucido and invite him onto the show. Lucido did not respond.” [Michigan Advance, 1/28/20]
¶ 3/5/20: Lucido Was Removed Of His Committee Position And Mandated Additional Training After Being Accused Of Sexually Harassing The Three Women
3/5/20: Lucido Was Removed From His Position As Chair Of The Senate Advice And Consent Committee And Mandated Additional Training After Being Accused Of Sexual Harassment By Three Women. According to Michigan Advance, “A months-long Senate Business Office investigation into sexist comments made by state Sen. Peter Lucido (R-Shelby Twp.) concluded Thursday, resulting in a decision from Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R-Clarklake) to remove Lucido from his position as chair of the influential Senate Advice and Consent Committee. Lucido will also be required to participate in additional training, according to Shirkey. He will stay on as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. A request for comment from Lucido’s office was not immediately returned.” [Michigan Advance, 3/5/20]
- The Senate Investigation Concluded That All Three Accusations Of Sexual Harassment Against Lucido Were “Credible” And The Incidents “More Likely Than Not” Occurred As Described. According to the Michigan Advance, “Since Donahue’s story, which made national and international news, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak) and Melissa Osborn of the Michigan Credit Union League have both said the Shelby Township Republican sexually harassed them, too. According to the memorandum sent to Shirkey and Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich (D-Flint) on Thursday, the Senate Business Office (SBO) investigators conducted a total of 35 interviews with 25 individuals to reach their conclusion. Those findings, which were sent in a ‘confidential and privileged report’ to the SBO on Monday, concluded that Donahue, McMorrow and Osborn were found to be ‘credible’ in their accusations and that the incidents ‘more likely than not’ occurred as reported by each accuser. ‘Furthermore, the investigators concluded that Senator Lucido’s conduct ‘demonstrates an unfortunate pattern of behavior’ that requires ‘little to no interpretation to be understood as inappropriate workplace behavior,’ the memo from the SBO reads.” [Michigan Advance, 3/5/20]
After The Senate Investigation Found All Three Accusations Against Lucido Credible, Lucido Falsely Claimed He “Did Not Sexually Harass Anyone.” According to the Michigan Advance, “At the conclusion of the investigation, Lucido issued a statement falsely stating its conclusions: ‘Throughout this process, I have maintained that I did not sexually harass anyone. Given that I have not sexually harassed anyone nor were there any citations of a violation of Senate rules determined by the investigation, I look forward to continuing to work on behalf of the people I represent.’” [Michigan Advance, 3/6/20]
¶ 3/22/21: A Fourth Woman Accused Lucido Of Inappropriately Touching Her During A Formal Meeting
3/22/21: Ingham County Judge Lisa McCormick Accused Lucido Of Inappropriately Touching Her In 2019 During A Formal Meeting. According to the Michigan Advance, “Ingham County Judge Lisa McCormick said in an interview with the Advance this month that then-state Sen. Peter Lucido (R-Shelby Twp.) in 2019 inappropriately touched her during a formal meeting. Lucido last year stepped down from the Legislature after winning his race for Macomb County prosecutor. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed McCormick, a former prosecutor, as director of the Michigan Office of Children’s Ombudsman. Because the appointment was subject to approval from the state Senate as part of the advice and consent process, McCormick said she met with Lucido, who chaired that committee, in late January or early February in his Senate office in the Dykema building. McCormick said she and Lucido each had a staffer present. As the meeting ended, McCormick said that Lucido gave her an inappropriate ‘big bear hug, a tight hug,’ as she described it, that made her feel ‘uncomfortable.’” [Michigan Advance, 3/22/21]
- Lucido Called McCormick’s Comments “Baseless” And “Completely False.” According to the Michigan Advance, “Lucido did not return requests for comment before the story was published. On Tuesday afternoon, after several outlets reported on the alleged incident, Lucido issued a lengthy written statement attacking the Advance and Whitmer and calling McCormick’s allegation ‘baseless’ and ‘completely false.’ ‘I never had an interaction with Ms. McCormick that was even remotely close to what she now alleges took place two years ago,’ he said. McCormick is now the fourth woman to publicly accuse Lucido of being inappropriate with them.” [Michigan Advance, 3/22/21]
¶ 2023: Lucido apologized after Commemorating Confederate General RObert E. Lee’s Birthday
January 2023: Lucido’s Macomb County Prosecutor Social Media Account Posted In Celebration Of Robert E. Lee’s Birthday. According to the Detroit Free Press, “Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido apologized Friday for a social media post quoting Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on his birthday, adding that the post was ‘inappropriate.’ […] Screengrabs of the post showed a statue of Lee, his dates of birth and death, Lucido’s yellow prosecutor banner and a quote attributed to Lee: ‘What a cruel thing is war: to separate and destroy families and friends, and mar the purest joys and happiness God has granted us in this world; to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors, and to devastate the fair face of this beautiful world.’” [Detroit Free Press, 1/20/23]
- Lucido Claimed His Communications Director Made The Post Without His Consultation And Vowed To Ensure “Such An Insensitive Post Is Not Repeated.” According to the Detroit Free Press, “‘On my behalf, my communications director posts information about the office and occasionally current affairs on the Prosecutor’s Office social media sites. On Thursday, Robert E. Lee’s birthday, a post was made quoting his statement on the cruelty of war, thinking it was historically significant and not thinking the post needed my review.’ ‘Unfortunately, the greater context of Robert E. Lee, his support of the Confederate states, relationship to our shameful slave history and the hurtful nature of commemorating him to many in our community, was not considered,’ he said. ‘I understand such a post was inappropriate and immediately had it taken down when I became aware of it.’ Lucido said a review process for future social media posts has been implemented to ensure ‘such an insensitive post is not repeated.’” [Detroit Free Press, 1/20/23]