McDonald Asks Candidates to take the Pledge and Make Clear the Rule of Law Takes Priority Over Party Loyalty or Donald Trump
OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – Following media reports President Donald Trump pressured the Department of Justice to investigate his political opponents, including former FBI Director James Comey (who made his first appearance in court Wednesday) Attorney General candidate Karen McDonald has challenged all the major candidates for MI Attorney General to pledge they will stay independent of Donald Trump. McDonald’s challenge comes after Trump baselessly called for the Mayor of Chicago and Governor of Illinois to be jailed in a social media post.
Trump demanded the Department of Justice investigate his political opponents via social media posts. According to media reports, frontline prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia do not believe the case against James Comey has merit.
“Due process protections and the rule of law depend on keeping politics out of the American justice system,” said McDonald. “When the President of the United States baselessly calls for his political opponents to be arrested or investigated, it isn’t just anti-American – it’s a dangerous break with our most deeply held traditions of justice, democracy, and basic respect for our fellow American citizens. The power of the law belongs to the people, not to any one politician. I hope everyone who is running for Attorney General in Michigan – in both parties – can sign this pledge to uphold the law faithfully and not weaponize it for political gain.”
The pledge was delivered to campaigns via email.
About Karen McDonald: Karen was elected Oakland County Prosecutor in 2020 and is committed to protecting victims of crime, improving outcomes for juveniles and families, and increasing fairness across the criminal justice system. Karen’s early initiatives have included reviewing the files of every pending juvenile lifer case in Oakland County, and establishing a Trafficking Unit, a Hate Crimes Unit, and a Conviction Integrity Unit. Prior to her election as Oakland County Prosecutor, Karen was an Oakland County Circuit Court judge from 2012 to 2019. As a judge, Karen specialized in family matters – including divorce and custody, child abuse and neglect, and adoption.
Karen began her career as a high school English teacher in Midland where she was a proud union member. Her experience teaching sparked her lifelong commitment to kids. Karen was raised in Portland, Michigan, alongside her two sisters. She now lives in Birmingham with her husband. Together they raised five children.
Contact: press@mcdonaldforag.com Oct. 14, 2025
###
