By Robin Bravender
Gongwer News Service
Attorney General-elect Eli Savit will inherit heaps of pending lawsuits from outgoing Attorney General Dana Nessel in January, ranging from cases challenging President Donald Trump to high-stakes environmental and antitrust suits.
Unlike the last time the AG’s office flipped, Savit will follow an outgoing Democrat, so his approach to pending cases isn’t likely to be nearly as dramatic. Still, the state’s new top attorney will be immediately thrust into a pivotal role in the center of some of the biggest legal fights playing out in the state and the country.
“Generally speaking, I have a ton of respect for the work that AG Nessel has done as our attorney general,” Savit told Gongwer News Service in an interview Friday. “I’m not coming in and kicking over the apple cart, and I certainly hope to build on some of the stuff that AG Nessel has done.”
The Democrat-to-Democrat transition is sure to be different from the flip in 2019, when Nessel took office after 16 years of Republicans holding the office. During her first year in office, Nessel withdrew from 28 federal cases, including lawsuits siding with conservatives on healthcare, LGBTQ rights and abortion, the Michigan Advance reported (opens michiganadvance.com in a new tab).
Of course, every new boss brings a new perspective and wants to build their own legacy. Savit sees consumer protection as one area where there’s “both a need and an opportunity to build out more,” he said. Savit also intends to follow through with a campaign-trail promise to build a dedicated workers’ rights unit in the Department of Attorney General, he said.
Nessel called Savit immediately on Election Day after his race was called, Savit said, and “the very next day, she was my first call.” She had been “appropriately a little bit hands off during the campaign cycle,” but they’ve had in-depth conversations since the election about the department and staffing, he said.
“She’s been incredible to work with so far on this transition, and I think we both want – as does the state of Michigan – a smooth transition where nothing’s skipping a beat,” Savit said.
As he moves into the department overseeing a staff of about 600 in January, Savit and his team will decide whether to stay the course or shift tactics on some of his office’s highest-profile cases.
Savit declined to comment on specific cases Friday because he’s still in the transition process.
Here are eight big issues that will soon be on his plate:
—————
Trump administration challenges
Nessel has filed dozens of lawsuits (opens michigan.gov in a new tab) against the federal government during Trump’s second term, challenging a host of federal policies on healthcare, food assistance, housing, the environment and more. Savit is expected to use his new perch to continue fighting the Trump team in court.
Savit described his approach to lawsuits challenging the federal government as one that “isn’t political.”
If “this president or any other – including the president of my own party – violates the law and harms Michiganders, I think it’s our obligation to litigate against that action,” Savit said. “And I’ll do that against the Trump administration, but I’ll also do it if a Democratic president is elected in 2028 and they do something that’s unlawful that harms the people of the state of Michigan.”
Savit sees voting rights as an area that needs “to be addressed in the lead up to the 2028 presidential election.” When the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Trump’s effort (opens npr.org in a new tab) to restrict mail-in voting ahead of the midterm elections, “We dodged a bullet,” Savit said. “I hope that everything is smooth sailing and there’s no need for any litigation or legal challenges. But it’s certainly something that I’m keeping an eye on.”
—————
The Line 5 fight
The long-running litigation over the proposed Enbridge pipeline emerged as a sticking point during Savit’s campaign against his Republican opponent, Doug Lloyd.
Savit said in September that his “North Star” in the case would be protecting the Straits of Mackinac and 90% of the nation’s freshwater supply.
The U.S. Supreme Court in April sided with Nessel (opens michigan.gov in a new tab), who argued that the legal fight over the Line 5 pipelines in the Straits of Mackinac belonged in state court, not federal. That litigation is ongoing.
—————
Antitrust case against oil companies
A federal judge in September dismissed an antitrust lawsuit brought by Nessel alleging that major oil and gas companies conspired to restrain meaningful competition from renewable energy to maintain their dominance in Michigan and nationally.
The ruling in that case, Michigan v. B.P. et. al., could be appealed. A spokesperson for Nessel said in September that she disagreed with the ruling and was exploring additional options.
—————
Blue Cross Blue Shield lawsuit
As one of her last big moves in office, Nessel announced a blockbuster federal antitrust lawsuit against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, alleging an illegal health insurance monopoly.
That litigation, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in October, will soon fall to Savit and his team.
—————
PFAS lawsuits
Nessel has made litigation over PFAS, known as “forever chemicals,” a centerpiece of her tenure in office. That included settlements with Wolverine Worldwide and Asahi Kasei Plastics North America.
Savit is set to inherit the department’s pending lawsuits, which include more than 20 more cases against PFAS manufacturers, according to the department’s website.
—————
The Prop 2 fight
Lawsuits against a new campaign finance ballot proposal dropped soon after voters had approved the measure on Election Day. That will put Savit in charge of defending Proposal 2, which bans public utilities and some government contractors from contributing to political campaigns. The measure also imposes new rules for political communications.
—————
The Lee Chatfield saga
Savit will take over Nessel’s ongoing prosecution of former House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, after Nessel charged Chatfield with 13 felonies in April 2024.
Chatfield’s trial was delayed indefinitely in September after his attorney appealed the status of an expert witness in the case.
—————
Google data center challenge
Nessel in October filed a petition challenging the Public Service Commission’s approval of DTE’s contracts to service a Google hyperscale data center near Detroit. Her office argued that the commission failed to ensure that ratepayers would be sufficiently protected under the contracts.
Savit told WDET ahead of the election (opens dev.wdet.org in a new tab) that he wanted to “protect residential ratepayers from rising electricity costs, uphold our environmental standards and use the legal resources of the attorney general’s office to balance the scales when major corporations try to bully local communities.”
As AG, Savit said, “I’ll hold data centers accountable to the fullest extent I can.”
Gongwer News Service
Attorney General-elect Eli Savit will inherit heaps of pending lawsuits from outgoing Attorney General Dana Nessel in January, ranging from cases challenging President Donald Trump to high-stakes environmental and antitrust suits.
Unlike the last time the AG’s office flipped, Savit will follow an outgoing Democrat, so his approach to pending cases isn’t likely to be nearly as dramatic. Still, the state’s new top attorney will be immediately thrust into a pivotal role in the center of some of the biggest legal fights playing out in the state and the country.
“Generally speaking, I have a ton of respect for the work that AG Nessel has done as our attorney general,” Savit told Gongwer News Service in an interview Friday. “I’m not coming in and kicking over the apple cart, and I certainly hope to build on some of the stuff that AG Nessel has done.”
The Democrat-to-Democrat transition is sure to be different from the flip in 2019, when Nessel took office after 16 years of Republicans holding the office. During her first year in office, Nessel withdrew from 28 federal cases, including lawsuits siding with conservatives on healthcare, LGBTQ rights and abortion, the Michigan Advance reported (opens michiganadvance.com in a new tab).
Of course, every new boss brings a new perspective and wants to build their own legacy. Savit sees consumer protection as one area where there’s “both a need and an opportunity to build out more,” he said. Savit also intends to follow through with a campaign-trail promise to build a dedicated workers’ rights unit in the Department of Attorney General, he said.
Nessel called Savit immediately on Election Day after his race was called, Savit said, and “the very next day, she was my first call.” She had been “appropriately a little bit hands off during the campaign cycle,” but they’ve had in-depth conversations since the election about the department and staffing, he said.
“She’s been incredible to work with so far on this transition, and I think we both want – as does the state of Michigan – a smooth transition where nothing’s skipping a beat,” Savit said.
As he moves into the department overseeing a staff of about 600 in January, Savit and his team will decide whether to stay the course or shift tactics on some of his office’s highest-profile cases.
Savit declined to comment on specific cases Friday because he’s still in the transition process.
Here are eight big issues that will soon be on his plate:
—————
Trump administration challenges
Nessel has filed dozens of lawsuits (opens michigan.gov in a new tab) against the federal government during Trump’s second term, challenging a host of federal policies on healthcare, food assistance, housing, the environment and more. Savit is expected to use his new perch to continue fighting the Trump team in court.
Savit described his approach to lawsuits challenging the federal government as one that “isn’t political.”
If “this president or any other – including the president of my own party – violates the law and harms Michiganders, I think it’s our obligation to litigate against that action,” Savit said. “And I’ll do that against the Trump administration, but I’ll also do it if a Democratic president is elected in 2028 and they do something that’s unlawful that harms the people of the state of Michigan.”
Savit sees voting rights as an area that needs “to be addressed in the lead up to the 2028 presidential election.” When the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Trump’s effort (opens npr.org in a new tab) to restrict mail-in voting ahead of the midterm elections, “We dodged a bullet,” Savit said. “I hope that everything is smooth sailing and there’s no need for any litigation or legal challenges. But it’s certainly something that I’m keeping an eye on.”
—————
The Line 5 fight
The long-running litigation over the proposed Enbridge pipeline emerged as a sticking point during Savit’s campaign against his Republican opponent, Doug Lloyd.
Savit said in September that his “North Star” in the case would be protecting the Straits of Mackinac and 90% of the nation’s freshwater supply.
The U.S. Supreme Court in April sided with Nessel (opens michigan.gov in a new tab), who argued that the legal fight over the Line 5 pipelines in the Straits of Mackinac belonged in state court, not federal. That litigation is ongoing.
—————
Antitrust case against oil companies
A federal judge in September dismissed an antitrust lawsuit brought by Nessel alleging that major oil and gas companies conspired to restrain meaningful competition from renewable energy to maintain their dominance in Michigan and nationally.
The ruling in that case, Michigan v. B.P. et. al., could be appealed. A spokesperson for Nessel said in September that she disagreed with the ruling and was exploring additional options.
—————
Blue Cross Blue Shield lawsuit
As one of her last big moves in office, Nessel announced a blockbuster federal antitrust lawsuit against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, alleging an illegal health insurance monopoly.
That litigation, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in October, will soon fall to Savit and his team.
—————
PFAS lawsuits
Nessel has made litigation over PFAS, known as “forever chemicals,” a centerpiece of her tenure in office. That included settlements with Wolverine Worldwide and Asahi Kasei Plastics North America.
Savit is set to inherit the department’s pending lawsuits, which include more than 20 more cases against PFAS manufacturers, according to the department’s website.
—————
The Prop 2 fight
Lawsuits against a new campaign finance ballot proposal dropped soon after voters had approved the measure on Election Day. That will put Savit in charge of defending Proposal 2, which bans public utilities and some government contractors from contributing to political campaigns. The measure also imposes new rules for political communications.
—————
The Lee Chatfield saga
Savit will take over Nessel’s ongoing prosecution of former House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, after Nessel charged Chatfield with 13 felonies in April 2024.
Chatfield’s trial was delayed indefinitely in September after his attorney appealed the status of an expert witness in the case.
—————
Google data center challenge
Nessel in October filed a petition challenging the Public Service Commission’s approval of DTE’s contracts to service a Google hyperscale data center near Detroit. Her office argued that the commission failed to ensure that ratepayers would be sufficiently protected under the contracts.
Savit told WDET ahead of the election (opens dev.wdet.org in a new tab) that he wanted to “protect residential ratepayers from rising electricity costs, uphold our environmental standards and use the legal resources of the attorney general’s office to balance the scales when major corporations try to bully local communities.”
As AG, Savit said, “I’ll hold data centers accountable to the fullest extent I can.”
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