Macomb County Clerk Karen Spranger is accused of kicking a clerk Monday morning. The worker, a clerk in Spranger's office, reportedly says it happened after she was feeling harassed by Spranger and went to talk to her supervisor about it.
On the way out of the supervisor's office is when the clerk says Spranger tried to barge in by kicking her foot out to block the door and Spranger allegedly kicked her in the process.
The worker called 911, says Mark Deldin, Macomb County Chief Deputy Executive. "The last 15 months have not been good for the county in terms of having to deal with the newly elected clerk."
Sheriff deputies responded and began an investigation into the allegations of assault.
No one was taken into custody..
This is the second recent criminal investigation involving Spranger. She is also accused of misusing taxpayer money for a conference in Washington, D.C.
Jackie Ryan, Spranger's Deputy Register of Deeds, attended the conference with Spranger. Ryan's teenage son drove her and Spranger to the conference.
Ryan won't say exactly how old her son is, but she says he also assisted Spranger during the conference in various ways.
County officials say the issue is that the name of Niki Brandenburg was used to register a third person for the conference at $650 per person, and Ryan's son was seen at the conference.
Deldin says Ryan claimed that her son served as a "special intern assistant to the clerk," but that he has no knowledge of any such position with the County.
Deldin says there was a County Commissioner by the name of Niki Brandenburg who left office in 2006.
Ryan says she secured permission from officials in the finance department to take Brandenburg, but that she couldn't make the trip at the last minute due to a family emergency.
7 Action News has been unable to reach Brandenburg for comment.
