Michigan state lawmaker stripped of committee assignments after alleged jail escape attempt

Embattled Michigan state Rep. Jewell Jones (D) was stripped of his committee assignments Thursday following a reported jail escape attempt, The Detroit Free Press reports.

Michigan House Speaker Jason Wentworth (R) announced the sanctions against Jones after the representative allegedly tried to secure his release from jail by taping a universal key to the bottom of his foot.

Jones was ordered to return to jail Tuesday after repeated bond violations stemming from his April arrest, which occurred after police say he drove into a ditch while under the influence of alcohol. He reportedly did not comply with Michigan State Police when they reached the scene.

On Wednesday, Jones was charged with two additional felonies.

“Rep. Jewell Jones’s increasingly disruptive and distracting behavior in the months following his April arrest has eroded my confidence in his ability to conduct the people’s work,” Wentworth said Thursday, according to the Detroit Free Press.

He said that Jones’s recent behavior “hit a new low” with his “bizarre attempt to escape from jail,” therefore warranting the actions brought against him.

Wentworth added, “Action must be taken to protect the public’s interest. I am now removing Rep. Jones from all House committees and encouraging him to use that time to make changes and take control of his actions.”

Jones was also previously accused of spending campaign money at a strip club, according to a July report.

“We have [to] meet people where they’re at some times … #HOLLA,” Jones reportedly told The Detroit News when asked about the claim.