by Tyler Arnold
Michigan state Rep. Larry Inman, R-Traverse City, is seeking treatment for opioid use after being indicted on bribery charges.
His attorney, Christopher Cooke, said that Inman sought treatment last week and had been using the drugs for several years after he was prescribed the medicine following major surgeries, the Associated Press reported.
Cooke said that Inman and his physicians “will continue to evaluate his ability to effectively serve his constituency as his treatment progresses,” according to the report.
Inman has faced calls for resignation from both sides of the aisle after he was charged with bribery, extortion and lying to a federal officer. The charges allege that Inman requested money from a labor union in exchange for a vote against repealing the state’s prevailing wage law. The union said it did not provide Inman the money and Inman voted in favor of repealing the law.
In the text messages Inman sent to the union’s representatives, he referenced 11 other representatives who were allegedly seeking money. Some of the representatives were named in the text, but those names were redacted from the court documents.
Inman was quickly removed from the House Republican Caucus after the indictment and House Speaker Larry Chatfield, R-Levering, later filed a resolution urging Inman to resign. Although the resolution cannot force him to resign, it states that the House is permitted to expel members if they choose to do so.
Inman has maintained his innocence and said that he should have called the union because text messages can be misinterpreted.
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Tyler Arnold reports on Virginia, Ohio and Michigan for The Center Square. He previously worked for the Cause of Action Institute and has been published in Business Insider, USA TODAY College, National Review Online and the Washington Free Beacon.
