Eight-Time Felon Running for Michigan State House - East Idaho News
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Eight-Time Felon Running for Michigan State House

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100312 BrianBanks?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1349286192569BankonBanks4StateRep.com(DETROIT) — Some say politicians can’t be trusted, but that stereotype isn’t stopping eight-time felon Brian Banks, 35 — convicted of writing bad checks and credit card fraud — who is vying for Michigan’s 1st House District this November.

The Democrat, whose last conviction for fraud-related charges was eight years ago, won a close primary election. Banks, who did not have to face an incumbent, beat four other Democratic opponents by a margin of only 100 votes. He’ll face Dan Schulte, a Republican and Grosse Pointe Shores two-term city councilman with no criminal record.

Schulte tells ABC News of his opponent’s record, “I don’t think it’s a good thing, that’s for sure. …I was surprised that a felon could even run for legislature in state of Michigan, I don’t think it should be allowed.”

Banks’ first arrest came in 1998 at age 22. The conviction resulted in a misdemeanor for passing bad checks. The following year, he was arrested again and pled guilty to three counts of credit card fraud in addition to one count of check fraud. Banks, who has served jail time for writing bad checks, has since been convicted of passing bad checks a total of eight times in several metro Detroit cities.

Schulte says that he is no stranger to forgiveness but the case of Brian Banks is unusual. “If you do something wrong and you show that you’ve turned a corner then you absolutely should be given another chance but when he did something wrong eight times and when he is still doing things wrong, that doesn’t show that he is sorry at all.”

According to the Detroit Free Press Banks has publically taken responsibility for his actions saying, “Yes, I’ve made many poor decisions, and yes, I have a record, but that’s exactly what it is, my past.”

Banks denied or did not respond to numerous requests for an interview with ABC News.

According to District 32A of Wayne County, the House seat hopeful is being sued for eviction. The case was filed on September 11 and the trial is scheduled to take place on October 4.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

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