The 5 Biggest Scandals Ever to Rock Michigan

By now, you've probably seen it.

The "kiss cam" concert video that purportedly unmasked an affair between a billionaire businessman and one of his employees.

Pretty scandalous stuff out of Massachusetts.

Got me wondering — what are the biggest scandals ever to happen in Michigan?

There have definitely been a few.

The U of M Abuse Scandal

Several years after his 2008 death, Dr. Robert Anderson, a physician at the University of Michigan, was revealed to have been a rather prolific sexual abuser.

More than a thousand former students spanning decades came forward with their victim stories. A settlement of $490 million was reached between the victims and the university in 2022.

The General Motors Ignition Recall

Back in the early 2000s, reports of ignition switch failures began to surface in a variety of General Motors cars, including the Saturn Ion and Chevrolet Cobalt. Despite acknowledging the defects, GM didn't formally issue a recall until more than a decade later.

More than 100 deaths were ultimately blamed on the malfunctioning part and the recall delay. GM faced congressional investigations and fines approaching $1 billion.

The Ongoing Flint Water Crisis

Though a lot of work has been done, the Flint Water Crisis still isn't over.

READ MORE: Does Flint Still Not Have Clean Water?

Back in 2014, Flint switched its water supply, leading to lead contamination and public health dangers. Government officials ignored or downplayed the risks for months, and several ended up facing criminal charges.

While the Environmental Protection Agency says Flint's water is now as safe as any other city in Michigan, claims are likely to take many more years to fully process. Damaged trust in the Flint utility and other government entities also persists.

Larry Nassar’s Crimes and Fallout

Longtime Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar was exposed as a serial abuser back in the 2010s, with hundreds of young women and girls coming forward. MSU faced lawsuits accusing the university of enabling Nassar's abuse over decades.

Nassar is now in prison for life. More than half a billion dollars was awarded in settlements.

Kwame Kilpatrick’s Downfall

Former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, was convicted in 2013 on multiple counts of racketeering, extortion, bribery and fraud. The scandal involved lavish spending, misuse of city funds, secret text messages revealing an affair, and other public corruption.

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Detroit was already struggling economically, and none of this helped. Kilpatrick ended up getting sentenced to 28 years in federal prison — a sentence that President Trump commuted on the final day of his first term in office.