Eli Savit has been mentioned alongside Philadelphia’s Larry Krasner and San Francisco’s Chesa Boudin, who was booted from office in a recall election. Now the progressive Washtenaw County prosecutor is running for attorney general of Michigan.
One of Savit’s most senior prosecutors has hit him with a federal whistleblower lawsuit. He has also accepted the endorsement of a group that includes an anti-Israel extremist who wants to globalize the intifada.
Once seen as champions of good governance and compassionate innovators, progressive prosecutors like Savit are now struggling to maintain credibility as disorder flourishes.
Accused of retaliating against a whistleblower and racial discrimination, the shine is wearing off Savit.
On September 30, one of Savit’s top employees filed suit against him. This employee, Nimish Ganatra, a senior manager in the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office, alleges that he was retaliated against by Eli Savit for reporting the alleged professional misconduct of a junior colleague.
According to the lawsuit, Ganatra had a legal reporting obligation and had encouraged Mr. Savit to inform his own “Conviction and Integrity Unit” about the alleged misconduct to preserve the integrity of the other cases she had worked on. According to the suit: “Mr. Savit was noncommittal, and on information and belief, declined to do so.”
On his campaign website, Savit touts that he “established Washtenaw County’s first-ever conviction integrity and expungement unit, which remedies wrongful convictions.” This alleged internal misconduct raises questions about his leadership and ethical standards, crucial considerations for the state’s top legal officer.
The Savit controversy also highlights a concerning lack of oversight within Washtenaw County government. On Oct. 22, Commissioner Crystal Lyte explicitly stated, “I am not aware of concerns that were reported by The Detroit Free Press or Mr. Ganatra.”
Just two days prior, on October 20, Savit had directed questions to Washtenaw County Corporation Counsel Michelle Billard, according to The Detroit Free Press. Savit is alleged to have spent over $50,000 on an investigation into Mr. Ganatra.
Ms. Lyte did not respond to follow-up questions, and Washtenaw County Commission Board Chair Katie Scott was the only other commissioner to offer comment. When asked about her endorsement of Mr. Savit, Scott responded, “I am not changing my position.”
Scott did not respond to a question asking when the Board of Commissioners became aware of allegations against Mr. Savit.
There is another controversy brewing for Savit. Savit’s connection to The People’s Coalition raises concerns about his prosecutorial discretion.
The group and PAC supports Savit, citing his decision not to prosecute members of the “campus intifada” at the University of Michigan.
“When pro-Palestinian speech and protest came under attack, Eli stood up to those who sought to silence and criminalize dissent,” the endorsement reads. “He resisted pressure from the University of Michigan to prosecute 64 protest-related cases—ultimately denying charges in 60 of them and reducing the remaining four to misdemeanor diversions, leaving no criminal record and no impact on immigration or employment.”
The People’s Coalition has taken positions in support of the “campus intifada” movement dominated U-M’s campus for over two years and included an antisemitic attack on a public official’s home and a host of other high-profile incidents.
The University of Michigan Hillel has said: “The term ‘Intifada’ is a direct threat to Jews.”
Intifada was used to describe a period of terror attacks against Israeli civilians in the early-to-mid 2000s, included shootings and suicide bombings. And campus groups have embraced extreme, pro-terror rhetoric.
The Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office did not respond to requests asking if Savit had been lobbied to drop prosecutions by members of The People’s Coalition.
Tensions and efforts to escalate around Jewish and Israeli events on campus continue. On Wednesday, Oct. 25, three were arrested outside Rackham Graduate School in Ann Arbor. Savit is likely already under pressure over these arrests, too. Such associations could alienate moderate voters and raise concerns about his judgment in handling sensitive public safety issues.
While proponents advocate for alternatives to incarceration, critics argue these policies compromise public safety. For instance, local newspaper owner P.D. Lesko accused Savit of releasing dangerous individuals, connecting them to the murder of local woman Jude Walton.
Lesko alleged several years ago that Savit and a local judge put “a ‘danger to society’ back out on the streets in relatively short order.”
“Court records suggest Walton’s death was, in large part, the result of prosecutorial deals, and a judiciary that ignored AAPD and probation reports that repeatedly labelled accused murderer Ricky McCain a ‘danger to society,’” Lesko concludes.
At least one downtown business has gone on the record to express growing dissatisfaction with a lenient approach to crime and disorder. A prominent, 50-year-old downtown business, Real Seafood, is contemplating leaving, citing, in part, “increased homelessness, aggressive panhandling and concerns about crime and perceptions of safety downtown.”
My family has personally experienced the impact of mental illness and disorder, leading us to shift our spending and activities away from downtown. While a tough-on-crime prosecutor may not solve everything, it could offer significant help to downtown business leaders.
At their April 2026 nominating convention, Michigan Democrats will face a crucial decision regarding Eli Savit’s candidacy for Michigan attorney general. They should ask themselves if Savit’s record truly suggests he is up to the job.
Jake Altman is a former union official and the author of Socialism before Sanders: The 1930s Moment from Romance to Revisionism.
