LANSING — Two former Michigan GOP attorneys general voiced concerns Sept. 10 about a "side hustle" Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit has held with a law firm in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Savit, who is the Democratic nominee for state attorney general, disclosed an outside source of income from the law offices of John K. Dema during 2025 in a personal financial disclosure form filed with the state of Michigan May 15. Savit was not required to disclose how much income he received from the law firm.
Mike Cox, who was Michigan attorney general from 2003 through 2010, and Bill Schuette, who was attorney general from 2011 through 2018, said during an online news conference that Savit's work for the law firm while holding the full-time elected job
of prosecutor in Michigan's sixth most populous county did not appear to violate any specific ethical rules or laws.
But Cox said the outside work "shows a lack of dedication to the citizens of Washtenaw County," and that Savit "leveraged his job as a Wayne County prosecutor to pitch cases" to potential law firm clients. "They can use Mr. Savit as a salesman," Cox said.
Schuette, who like Cox is supporting Savit's election opponent, Republican Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd, said: "Being the attorney general is not about trying to find (a) side hustle."
A spokeswoman for Savit's campaign dismissed the concerns and denied Savit has a marketing role with the law firm.
"Everybody has things they do in their spare time," said Naina Agrawal-Hardin. "Eli just happens to spend his spare time helping states successfully sue corporate polluters for contaminating our water with deadly chemicals like PFAS."
She would not say how much Savit has been paid by the law firm since he was first elected prosecutor in 2020.
Savit is not currently listed under "Our Team" on the website of Dema Law, which has offices on the island of St. Croix and in the U.S. state of Maryland. But the Internet archive shows that Savit was listed as "of counsel" to the law firm on its website in 2022. An accompanying biography of Savit said he had held that role with the firm since 2019 and also serves as Washtenaw County prosecutor. The website listed a Dema Law email address and phone number for Savit.
"Dema Law is built on the belief that legal action is one of the most effective tools we have to protect our homes, our communities, and our environment," the law firm's website says. "We work for public agencies, nonprofits, and impacted communities to hold corporations accountable for pollution, consumer fraud, and dangerous products."
Agrawal-Hardin said Savit's work for the firm involved drafting motions, briefs and court filings. "None of the work involved any cases in Michigan, nor was Eli involved in any 'pitches' as prosecutor," she said.
"As an independent contractor, Eli was always able to turn down work with Dema when he lacked the spare time to complete it. With the demands of his current job and campaign, he has not performed any work for Dema in over a year," and as of 2025 no longer holds the title "of counsel," she said.
An email sent Sept. 10 to Savit's Dema Law email address bounced back as undeliverable.
Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Former AGs complain about 'side hustle' held by Democratic nominee
