“This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. To get regular coverage from Bridge Michigan, sign up for a free newsletter Here.
==============================
BY SIMON D. SCHUSTER
Bridge Michigan Staff Writer
LANSING — Shortly after Jake Leider began his new job as chief financial off
“This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. To get regular coverage from Bridge Michigan, sign up for a free newsletter Here.
==============================
BY SIMON D. SCHUSTER
Bridge Michigan Staff Writer
LANSING — Shortly after Jake Leider began his new job as chief financial officer for the Complete Health Park nonprofit in Clare, a pair of invoices caught his eye.
At least one of the invoices for IW Consulting, which totaled more than $820,000 combined, appeared to be signed by and include the home address of Dave Coker, a former legislative aide who had created the nonprofit that obtained a $25 million earmark from the state of Michigan.
So Leider researched the consulting firm online and found what he considered another red flag: Coker also owned IW Consulting, which was billing the nonprofit.
“I thought it was odd for the director of a project to sign and approve invoices for themselves,” Leider testified Tuesday in Lansing’s 54-A District Court. “(I told him) that it’s a conflict of interest.”
Prosecutors allege Coker funneled money from Complete Health Park to his consulting firm and then into personal bank accounts, spending the cash on lavish purchases like gold, platinum, vehicles and firearms.
He has pleaded not guilty to various charges, which include acquiring or maintaining a criminal enterprise, making false pretenses, abuse of public money and two counts of embezzlement of $100,000 or more, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The preliminary exam that began Tuesday will help a judge decide if there is enough evidence to bring the case to trial on charges brought by Attorney General Dana Nessel.
Former employees and board members of Complete Health Park nonprofit testified Tuesday that Coker tightly controlled the nonprofit’s business and decision-making.
Contracts with Coker’s consulting company, IW Consulting, showed Complete Health Park agreed to pay Coker’s firm 7% of the $25 million grant — which would equate to $1.75 million if applied to all spending — along with $200 an hour for other services.
Hired in February 2023, Leider testified on Tuesday that he had discussed concerns about the project with a CPA, an attorney and ultimately the nonprofit board that Coker had organized, including members who subsequently resigned.
“Within days, I received a termination notice from a law firm I’d never heard of,” Leider said, later confirming the letter came from attorneys at the Lansing-based Clark Hill firm.
A ‘passion project’
Josh Blanchard, Coker’s defense attorney, sought to portray his client as an “optimist” who was intent on bringing a health and fitness park to Clare County, which is both poorer and less healthy than the rest of the state.
In one witness cross-examination, he called Coker “a bit of a dreamer” who was working on “a passion project” he had begun to conceptualize even before the $25 million earmark was added to a 2022 state budget bill by then-House Speaker Jason Wentworth, Coker’s former boss.
The nonprofit then spent $3.5 million to buy land from the family of state Rep. Tom Kunse, who replaced Wentworth in the state Legislature in 2023. Wentworth and Kunse have denied wrongdoing, and Nessel has said there will not be any additional charges in the case.
Blanchard attempted to distance Coker from the nonprofit and the state grant on Tuesday. In questioning witnesses, he sought to illustrate the payments to Coker’s consulting firm were in line with the contract — not illicit.
“It’s a real shame that Dana Nessel decided to take (the health park) away from the people of Clare County,” Blanchard said after the hearing. “They were making real progress at something that would have changed the community for the good, and she took it away from them.”
Bridge Michigan first reported on “red flags” surrounding the state grant spending in May of 2023.
Darrell Harden, a state Department of Health and Human Services grant administrator, testified Tuesday that Bridge’s coverage led to a stop work order on the grant and, as Blanchard put it, “caused the whole project to come to an end.”
'Dave was in control’
A little more than a month before Coker’s newly formed nonprofit received its first $10 million in state funding, he met with three associates in a Panera Bread in Jackson to lay out how the nonprofit would work. Two of the board members appeared Tuesday as witnesses called by the state.
The one-time treasurer of the nonprofit, Terrance Powell, works in security at an insurance company. He testified that he was surprised when Coker invited him to join the nonprofit’s board as treasurer in October 2022 “because I had no experience.”
Despite being treasurer, Powell said he had no access to the nonprofit’s bank accounts. When Assistant Attorney General Kelli Megyesi showed him an invoice for over $600,000, Powell said he had never seen it before. He didn’t recall ever looking at any bank statements. Powell said it was Coker who led and directed meetings.
“On paper, we were in control — but Dave was in control,” he testified. “Dave directed every aspect of our meetings.”
But Blanchard challenged those characterizations, saying the board “negotiated” Coker’s salary on the project by agreeing to pay him a 7% consulting fee instead of the 8% he had initially requested.
In response to Blanchard questioning, Powell said he was never told how to vote or what to talk about during board meetings.
Lenn Wixson, a longtime friend of Coker’s, said he often felt “overwhelmed” by all the documents presented at board meetings.
Despite being president of the Complete Health Park board from its inception, when asked if he ever ran the meetings, he responded “technically, no.”
“I didn’t know how to run a meeting efficiently, so (Coker) just took the reins,” said Wixson, who testified that he resigned from the board in January 2023.
A code of conduct
Harden, the state health department employee tasked with overseeing the $25 million Clare health park grant, had previously noted Coker’s political connections in an email to colleagues.
He is “both well connected politically and a bit antsy, so I’m hoping to keep it moving,” Harden said in a December 2022 email — a little more than a month after Coker and Powell first met to form the nonprofit’s board.
Within 10 days of that email, the state distributed $10 million to the nonprofit.
In a meeting a month before, Harden said Coker had told him he “was not making any money on the project,” but Harden confirmed in his testimony that Coker’s firm was, in actuality, paid more than $820,000 within days of receiving the infusion of state funding.
Megyesi, the assistant attorney general, focused on provisions in the grant agreement between the nonprofit and the state, including a conflict of interest clause and a code of conduct that bars grant recipients from having a financial interest in the grant’s spending.
She noted the nonprofit had initially budgeted $33,000 for contractual and professional services and $2.1 million for “other expenses.”
Harden said it took three budget revisions and months for the nonprofit to list IW Consulting as a contractor on the documents. He testified that once he learned that Coker ran IW Consulting, he flagged it as a potential conflict of interest, but by that time, the health department’s office of inspector general was already reviewing the grant.
More witnesses are expected in Coker’s preliminary exam, which is scheduled to resume April 8.
PHOTO CAPTION: Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office led a two-year investigation into alleged theft from $25 million state budget earmark for a health park in Clare. — PHOTO BY JONATHAN OOSTING
Click Here to Listen Live to MFNT Radio
==========================
METRO FLINT RADIO ONE
Click Here to Listen Live to MFRO
==========================
METRO FLINT SPORTS RADIO
Click Here to Listen Live to MFSR
==========================
MICHIGAN NEWS/TALK RADIO
BY ERIC THOMPSON
CCN Sports Writer
LANSING (CCN) — Flint Powers Catholic star Kendyl Smith had a game for the ages but it wasn't enough for the Lady Chargers on Friday night at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on the campus of Michigan State University.
They were eliminated 63-59 by defending state champion Tecumseh.
Tecumseh's bid to repea
BY ERIC THOMPSON
CCN Sports Writer
LANSING (CCN) — Flint Powers Catholic star Kendyl Smith had a game for the ages but it wasn't enough for the Lady Chargers on Friday night at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on the campus of Michigan State University.
They were eliminated 63-59 by defending state champion Tecumseh.
Tecumseh's bid to repeat
Smith, a senior star who was among the four finalists for Miss Basketball, was slowed by playing the final half of the 4th quarter with 4 fouls.
Powers was bidding to make it to the state finals against the winner of Goodrich and Grand Rapids South Christian.
Goodrich knocked off top-ranked Grand Rapids South Christian 47-41 in Friday night's other semifinal match-up.
PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured above this story is Powers Catholic star Kendyl Smith who scored 32 points Friday in the state semifinals.
BY ERIC THOMPSON
CCN Sports Writer
(CCN) — President Donald Trump celebrated Team USA's Gold Medals in hockey by inviting both teams to attend Tuesday's (Feb. 24, 2026) State of the Union address to both chambers of Congress.
The women's team declined the invitation but the men's team of NHL stars visited Trump in the oval office at the Wh
BY ERIC THOMPSON
CCN Sports Writer
(CCN) — President Donald Trump celebrated Team USA's Gold Medals in hockey by inviting both teams to attend Tuesday's (Feb. 24, 2026) State of the Union address to both chambers of Congress.
The women's team declined the invitation but the men's team of NHL stars visited Trump in the oval office at the White House and then attended the State of the Union address.
Trump bestowed glowing remarks on them and awarded Michigan-born star goalie Connor Hellebyck the highest medal of honor in America by announcing he would be soon getting a Presidential Freedom of Honor.
President Trump had earlier at the oval office presented Hellebyck with a framed award that read: "Secretary of Defense"
Team USA's hockey team won Gold for the first time in 46 years on a dramatic game-winning goal in overtime by Jack Hughes. The goal gave the Americans only their third gold medal ever in hockey to close out the Olympic Games in Milan Italy. They won it in 1960 and again with the miracle on ice in 1980 at Lake Placid.
Hughes is a former All-American star for the Michigan Wolverines who moved in high school with his family from Florida to Canton Michigan for Jack and brother Quinn to play for the USA National Development team at USA Arena where the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League formerly played before the team was bought by Rolf Nielsen and moved to Flint to become the Firebirds. Hughes is now in his 7th season with the NHL's New Jersey Devils.
His brother also went on from the USA national development team in Plymouth to star with the Michigan Wolverines before making his NHL debut 9 years ago when playing 5 games for the Vancouver Canucks. He then spent the next 7 full seasons there before going to the Minnesota Wild this year.
Not only did Team USA's men's team have a Michigan connection with goalie Hellebyck and the Hughes brothers, but Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin was also on the squad among six players from Michigan. The Waterford native Larkin and the Hughes brothers from Canton were joined by Winnipeg Jets goaltender Hellebyck of Commerce Township, Columbus Blue Jackets star Zach Werenski of Gross Point Woods and Winnipeg Jets star Kyle Connor of Shelby Township.
Goaltender Hellebuyck’s spectacular saves set the stage for Jack Hughes to score the dramatic game-winner. He made 41 saves in all, including some tremendous heroics down the stretch and in overtime.
The game winner gave Jack Hughes a team high 4 goals at the Olympics. His brother Quinn scored the dramatic overtime goal in the quarterfinals against Sweden.
The Hughes family also had reason to celebrate when mom Ellen was part of the staff for Team USA's victorious women's hockey team in Milan. Team USA's women also won the Gold Medal with a dramatic victory over Team Canada. They had never registered a shutout in Olympic play until reaching the Gold Medal game with 5 straight shutouts after an opening 5-1 triumph. Team USA's women had five players with Michigan ties, including captain Megan Keller who worked with Ellen Hughes on Detroit Belle Tire's amateur program before the Olympics. Keller scored the game winner over Team Canada to bring home the gold.
The men's hockey finals closed out the Olympic Games in Italy. It gave the Americans a record 12 gold medals this time at the winter games, two more than they had in Salt Lake City in 2002. They had 33 total medals over the past two weeks, three more than the host country Italy. Norway won the most golds with 18 and had the most total medals with 41.
Another nice story in Milan was how Brock Nelson became a third generation gold medal winner. His grandfather was among the men who won the 1960 gold medal in hockey and his uncle was on the miracle on ice team in Lake Placid.
BY GARY ANDERSON
CCN Staff Writer
TEXAS (CCN) — InfoWars programming on Metro Flint News/Talk Radio was filled Monday (Feb. 16, 2026) with talk about the latest FBI dump of Epstein files. Millions tuned in across America on Sunday to hear controversial host Alex Jones reveal in a special bulletin program how FBI files confirmed his reporti
BY GARY ANDERSON
CCN Staff Writer
TEXAS (CCN) — InfoWars programming on Metro Flint News/Talk Radio was filled Monday (Feb. 16, 2026) with talk about the latest FBI dump of Epstein files. Millions tuned in across America on Sunday to hear controversial host Alex Jones reveal in a special bulletin program how FBI files confirmed his reporting of many powerful political people having close ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Most of the views were on his InfoWars web site or on X, formerly known as Twitter, because radio stations only carry his program on weekdays.
Metro Flint News/Talk Radio interrupted regularly scheduled programming to broadcast it.
Go to our CCN Podcast Replays to listen to Monday's replays of The American Journal with Breanna Modello, the Alex Jones Show and War Room with Harrison Smith.
InfoWars reported that a number of high-profile executives have now resigned since the release of the latest batch of Epstein files.
Among the resignations was Casey Wasserman, a talent executive and chairman of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics organizing committee. On Friday, he announced that he will sell his talent agency after he appeared in nearly 90 Epstein documents, including messages to Epstein’s accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
Wasserman’s clients include Emma Stone, Nikki Glaser and comedian Nate Bargatze.
Singer Chapppell Roan announced she was leaving the agency after Wasserman was revealed to be in the files.
Another executive who has now resigned is Kathy Ruemmler, chief legal officer and general counsel of investment firm Goldman Sachs. She announced she would step away from her position at the firm at the end of June.
Ruemmler served as White House counsel to President Obama and initially attempted to distance herself from emails that showed a cosy relationship with the disgraced financier and pedophile. In one email sent just months before Epstein was arrested, she referred to him as “Uncle Jeffrey.”
Other resignations include Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, chairman of DP World, one of the world’s largest logistics companies; Peter Mandelson, who served as UK ambassador the US under current Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and has now been forced to relinquish his role in the House of Lords; and Brad Karp, chairman of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, one of the most important law firms in the US.
A weekday program by Alex Jones is heard by millions and has been carried by Metro Flint News/Talk Radio since 2020. The Alex Jones Show airs at 3 p.m. every weekday.
(InfoWars content was used within this story)
METRO SECTION
Flint City Council elects Candace Mushatt as new President after 62 rounds of voting
CAMPAIGN 2026 SPECIAL SECTION
Editor's Notebook by Mike Killbreath: Campaign fever heating up across Metro Flint regional area as we're inside 6 months away from primary
VIEWPOINTS SECTION
Editor's Notebook by Mike Killbreath: Remembering my well educated friend George Moss who took joy in sharing his knowledge
LIFE STYLES SECTION
CCN's long-time popular and controversial columnist, talk show host George Moss passes away
Interim Editor named for Flint online magazine featuring 'good stories' about county's biggest city
Columnist Marty Embry reveals new book about Flint's long and great athletic tradition
Hundreds in Flint Twp. join No King protest movement across America to oppose Donald Trump policies
PREP SPORTS SECTION
THE DAILY GAZETTE
SPORTS SECTION
Mike Killbreath's Sports Thoughts Column
FRONT PAGE
Mike Killbreath's Editor's Notebook Column
Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Charlie LeDuff gets 'love your work' Valentine's Day card, kinda
STATE NEWS
Detroit Chamber of Commerce poll shows ex-Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan now leads race for Governor
Higher Affordable Care Act market place plans hit more than 300,000 Michigan familie
FRONT PAGE
Mike Killbreath's Editor's Notebook Column
Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Charlie LeDuff gets 'love your work' Valentine's Day card, kinda
STATE NEWS
Detroit Chamber of Commerce poll shows ex-Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan now leads race for Governor
Higher Affordable Care Act market place plans hit more than 300,000 Michigan families
Michigan legislators move closer to ban on cell phones during class in Michigan public schools
State legislators considering laws to change how jet fuel is produced and used in Michigan
New report by environmental officials offers roadmap for Michigan’s Great Lakes in 2026
Journalist Charlie LeDuff's 3-year fight for justice results in charges against prominent Democrat
SPORTS SECTION
March Madness kicks off for 1,136 teams in MHSAA boys' basketball state tournament
Sports Thoughts Column by Mike Killbreath
NATION & WORLD
Alex Jones Show obtains video of Hillary Clinton's testimony behind closed doors to Congress
Arrest of ICE Supervisor in Cincinnati raises questions about vetting of its agents across USA
43 million student loan borrowers in default on notice about wage garnishments ahead for new year
Hemp farmers in Maine and across USA warn federal THC ban will wipe out their industry
MFNT Radio is your number one source for local news headlines from around the Metro Flint regional area, around the state and around the world. We offer a mix of local and syndicated radio show hosts with 24/7 programming.
MFSP is dedicated to bringing you local sports talk and broadcasts from around the Metro Flint regional area, along with syndicated programs. Going live soon with 24/7 programming.
Limited broadcasting currently.
MFRO is your favorite station for golden oldies classic music! We also deliver old-fashioned 5-minute newscasts at the top of every hour except at 10 am and 10 pm after our one-hour CCN News Wake-up Hour at 9 am and our CCN News Final at 9 pm daily.
GOING LIVE ON MARCH 1ST
MNTR is your source for statewide news headlines as well as the latest on the national and world scenes, plus syndicated programs and top statewide voices. We also deliver top statewide sports broadcasts of high school and collegiate action. Going live soon with 24/7 programming.
