Whitmer Circle Under Fire After $100,000 Taken From Vulnerable Elderly Woman

A former Michigan Democratic Party treasurer tied to Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s political orbit is now facing felony charges after prosecutors say she stole more than $100,000 from a vulnerable elderly woman she was appointed to protect.According to court records filed in Kent County, Traci Kornak of Comstock Park has been charged with multiple felonies, including embezzlement from a vulnerable adult, additional embezzlement counts, and false pretenses. Prosecutors allege Kornak abused her role as a court-appointed conservator for Roselene Bird, an elderly woman in poor health who was living in an assisted living facility near Grand Rapids.The alleged conduct spans from 2020 through 2023 and involves more than $100,000 taken from Bird’s accounts. As a conservator, Kornak was legally responsible for managing Bird’s finances solely for Bird’s care and benefit. Prosecutors say that responsibility was violated. Bird has since died.One of the felony counts carries a potential sentence of up to 15 years in prison if Kornak is convicted.The case is drawing attention not just for the allegations themselves, but for how long it took for charges to be filed.Kornak was not a low-level figure. She served as treasurer of the Michigan Democratic Party, donated to Democratic campaigns, and previously served on the 2018 transition team for Attorney General Dana Nessel. An earlier investigation into Kornak was conducted by the Attorney General’s office in 2022 and closed without charges.The Attorney General’s office has said that earlier investigation involved an insurance-related allegation and was closed in part due to a lack of cooperation from the person who filed the complaint.Republican lawmakers on the Michigan House Oversight Committee dispute that explanation. They argue the investigation should not have ended while a politically connected individual continued to control a vulnerable adult’s finances. Lawmakers have questioned whether ethical firewalls were enforced or ignored.The Oversight Committee has since issued subpoenas seeking records related to how the case was handled. After the Attorney General’s office declined to comply, the committee voted to hold the Attorney General in contempt, escalating a standoff between the legislature and the executive branch.Critics say the Kornak case feeds into a growing perception that political insiders in Whitmer’s orbit are treated differently when allegations surface. They point to delayed action and closed investigations as signs of a system that moves only when public pressure becomes unavoidable.Kent County officials have repeatedly said that financial exploitation of vulnerable adults is one of the least reported crimes they encounter, making strict oversight critical. When conservators abuse their authority, victims often have no ability to protect themselves.The courts will determine Kornak’s guilt or innocence. But the political damage is already done.For many watching this case, the outrage centers on a simple allegation: more than $100,000 taken from a vulnerable elderly woman, and years passing before charges were finally filed. The lingering question is whether justice was delayed because of who was involved.