What Part of 'Conflict of Interest' Does State Sen. Kowall Not Get?

Sen. Mike Kowall

Some ethics conflicts are tricky or nuanced. This one seems pretty obvious.

State Sen. Mike Kowall, R-White Lake Township, is sponsoring a bill to legalize Internet gambling that's backed by a firm where his wife is a lobbyist, Paul Egan reports in the Detroit Free Press. The bill would let existing casinos offer online wagering.

Kowall says there's no conflict of interest because his wife, Eileen Kowall, doesn't work directly on the project.

"It seems like a pretty troubling set of circumstances,"  Melanie McElroy, executive director of Common Cause, tells the Freep.