Jeff Fenton

When Lansing wanted to protect judges, they didn’t study it to death. They didn’t slow it down. They didn’t demand testimony from victims harmed by bad judicial decisions. They treated protecting judges like a no-brainer and rushed it through. But when it comes to protecting vulnerable seniors, disabled adults, and families destroyed by guardianship abuse, they didn’t ask the victims. They didn’t ask the families. They didn’t ask the people who lived it. They asked the industry. They asked the very guardians, attorneys, and institutions that profit from this broken system — then acted like families were unreasonable for objecting. That is not reform. That is regulatory capture. That is the fox writing the henhouse security policy while the chickens are locked outside the room. If protecting judges is automatic, protecting vulnerable people should be automatic too. Anything less exposes exactly who Lansing believes deserves protection — and who they are willing to sacrifice. Rep. Kathy Schmoltz and Rep. Jay DeBoyer sponsored HB5739 and HB5740 and guess who they consulted? Not victims who have experienced guardianship abuse. No they went to the Michigan Guardianship Association, think about that for just a minute. It’s laughable! If you’re not going to do your job move out of the way and let someone capable do it. #justiceforbettyhayes #AbuseOfPower #guardianshipabuse #abuseofpower #vulnerable #impeach #Michigan #predatoryattorneys

Political Lip Service? Go Figure!! HB 5739 and HB 5740 just passed out of committee 10-0. Let that sink in. Last week, families who have endured guardianship abuse showed up in Lansing and asked for a real seat at the table. In this video, I directly told State Rep. Kathy Schmaltz that victims and families need to be included in the process. Her response was, “Yes, this is just a start,” and she told me to call her office so we could sit down and talk. Then, less than a week later, before any real meeting, before families were brought to the table, before our proposed concerns were meaningfully addressed, these same bills were moved forward and passed 10-0. That is not a seat at the table. That is not transparency. That is not good faith. That is political theater. Families were told publicly that our voices mattered while privately the bills were already moving forward “as is.” That is exactly why victims of probate and guardianship abuse do not trust this system. We are not against reform. We are against fake reform that moves forward without the people who have actually lived the abuse. Families know what is broken because we have lived it. We know what happens when judges ignore the law, when guardians isolate loved ones, when estates are drained by court-appointed professionals, when families are silenced, and when there are no real consequences for misconduct. HB 5739 and HB 5740 should not move forward without enforceable protections, judicial accountability, fee transparency, conflict-of-interest rules, and real consequences for bad actors. A 10-0 vote does not mean victims were heard. It means politicians chose to move forward without us. Representative Schmaltz works for the people. These legislators work for Michigan families, not the probate industry, not the courts, and not the insiders who profit from this broken system. Do not tell victims they have a seat at the table while moving bills forward without them. Michigan families are watching. We will not be used for optics. We will not be quiet. And we will not stop demanding real accountability in Michigan’s broken guardianship system. She should be censured, removed from leadership on this issue, and voted out by the people she misled. We don’t need politicians who only provide lip service while on camera and do what they want when they think you’re not watching! #AbuseOfPower #censure #politician #lies #lipservice #voteherout