Federal Campaign Finance Case A Mixture of
Kafka & The Twilight Zone

In government class (many years ago), I learned that politics is the art or science of government, and a politician is one experienced in that art or science as a means of livelihood.
    

Back then (1968), the class didn't mean all that much to me, but I was always eager to get good grades. So I studied hard and was pleased to be involved in whatever way I could to be a part of the political process. I even spoke in support of Richard Nixon that year when we did our mock elections and student polling. I was pretty proud when he won. I was excited to have the opportunity to greet the presidential candidate and Mrs. Nixon at Tri-City Airport with a group of our All Saints students.
   

That was the beginning of my deep love for politics and my desire to make the world a better place. That year, everything seemed so idealistic and pure. God bless our youth.
  

After laws are made, we have many ways to enforce them, which usually involve law enforcement agencies such as the police, FBI, ATF, EPA or IRS, just to name a few. I was always proud of the way our government worked (or I thought it did) knowing there was a distinct process, with honorable men & women, to not only make but uphold our laws. Laws that are representative of the good will and in the best interests of the people.
  

Now so many years later, I am married to a politician. He is a legislator, which means lawmaker. He's been a legislator since 1976. Some people say that makes him a career politician. I, on the other hand, say it makes him my hero. Don't get me wrong, he gets a lot of admonishment from me as a husband, but as a politician, a representative, he gets my eternal respect & admiration.
 

I have watched my husband for years work tirelessly on behalf of everyone he represents and many he doesn't represent. He has not just been a politician making their laws. To many he has been a mentor, a confidant, a fighter for justice and a true friend.
 

He doesn't judge, he just listens and cares. He is nonabrasive and gentle in his approach to all. He has always been accessible and compassionate. We have been to Washington, Lansing and back and there is no one that I know of that I have met that I'd rather have represent me than him.
 

I want to make it very clear that I am not penning this because he is my husband. I am saying this because it is true. I love the truth; it is constant and never changing. Politics in the true sense - not the ideology - has been very hard on me.  I deal with the everyday nuts & bolts of any given situation. Constituent services, working on campaigns, eating on the run, sleeping in the car, pounding signs, attending rallies, volunteering & listening to zillions of speeches (some boring, some not) has actually become the good part of my life.
     

The bad part of my life politically has been watching my husband and our family being examined under a microscope; hearing the lies and half-truths about us from political opponents and their followers who want to win at any cost - living in a world where people's perceptions of you have overshadowed the importance of who and what you really are. It's a world where reality often takes a back seat and a small mistake in your past is never forgiven or forgotten by your adversaries. The mean-spiritedness of many in the political arena is becoming an onus, a huge detriment to the health and well-being of us all.
 

I have kept silent for years for fear that I would say or do something to embarrass or hurt my husband publicly. My family, friends and many constituents know that with me, what you see is what you get. I'm strong, often opinionated and vocal, and always willing to fight for what is good, just and right.
      

My husband was indicted on April 22nd for Federal Elections Commission violations that he did not commit. The FBI and state police came to our home a year ago. These characters were from Macomb County, apparently trying to dig up dirt on the prosecutor in their area. The chair of the opposing party filed a complaint. I feel they came with an agenda.  They spoke to (questioned) both my husband and myself. They played good cop-bad cop. They left saying we may be called to testify against this guy in front of a grand jury and at trial because, "He is a very bad man." They said we were not targeted, they were just seeking information.

       

Since that day our lives have been a nightmare. We've been called to Detroit for hours of lengthy questioning by the state police, FBI and assistant U.S. Attorney, collectively. I now know the true meaning of getting the third degree. It is unbearable mental torture. We've been completely sucked into a huge, swirling eddy wrought with lies & deception. A cat-and-mouse game where, in my opinion, there are no winners, only losers.
       

My husband, God bless his soul, has refused to play ball with men whose interest was not in determining the truth but in 'getting' someone. He refused to lie to save himself. Because of this, he has been dragged through the mud, indicted, arraigned, fingerprinted, mug shot, humiliated and degraded. We've had to hire lawyers and spokespeople. He's been lied to, lied about and beaten down. He's lost weight, had many sleepless nights and suffers from what I call a broken heart.
 

After reading the indictment, we're still not sure what the charges really are, or how all the things this prosecutor allegedly did are even related to us. The press has printed so many different stories about the charges because the indictment is so vague & strange. This whole mess is eerie. There is something so very wrong with this situation. When I was a kid, I enjoyed watching The Twilight Zone  - hell, now I'm living in it. Sometimes I wake up at night hearing its theme song.
 

Well, now what? Don't know. Am I scared? You bet. Angry? Yup. Hurt? Absolutely. We have no control over this situation and I find it highly frustrating. We've already given a chunk of change to our attorney, Harold Gurewitz, who I'm happy to say is a decent and honest man. Harold is my light at the end of the long dark tunnel. I think that with his help and another $100,000 to $150,000 for this dreadful arduous trial, maybe we can find justice - the true version of justice, because in this case, I haven't seen it yet.
    

I always look on the bright side of things. I enjoy wit & humor and love life. I have great kids and five gorgeous grandchildren. I've reunited with God and my rosary. I even have one that glows in the dark so I can find it in bed at night. I have a jar of holy water in my cupboard and a small vial of water from Fatima. I pray to St. Jude, the Patron Saint of hopeless cases. But on the bright side, I do believe that when one door closes, another one opens.
   

 I can't wait until this door is slammed shut, bolted, barred and locked and the key is at the depth of the ocean. I don't even care which ocean.

Sincerely,

Vicki Barcia


Words of Encouragement

Dear Bob;

I wanted to tell you what an excellent article that was that you wrote about your father and his involvement in the Saginaw District Golf Tournament.
 

I read the piece and then had my father read it. It reminded me of the relationship that I share with my own father despite our small differences. It also reminded me of what a great man my Grandfather was and the impact that he had in my life as well as my Dad.
 

It was a fantastic Father Day tribute that brought a tear to my eye and warmed my heart in such a way.

Kind Regards,

Michael Lazorchak, Jr.

Editor's Reply:

        I'd like to thank the many readers and friends that phoned, wrote, sent cards, and made memorial tributes after my father's recent passing.  T. S. Eliot once wrote that the day a man loses his father is the most significant day in his life; my appreciation to all of you for your kind words of support during this difficult transition.

                                       
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