Drolet's prosecutor in pig-parking case was owner of the real Mr. Perks

You just can’t make this stuff up …

 

When Leon Drolet faces his day in court for illegal pig-parking – a charge related to the giant fiberglass pig, “Mr. Perks,” that the anti-tax activist hauls around on a trailer -- Drolet will be prosecuted by the former owner of the real “Mr. Perks.”

The idea of using a live pig named Mr. Perks to draw attention to fat in government originated with the infamous Dave Jaye. The controversial lawmaker borrowed a pig in 1993 from Rob Huth, who traveled in the same Republican political circles, and used it repeatedly as a prop.

Huth is now the attorney for Shelby Township, which means he will be the prosecutor in court if and when Drolet contests his arrest for “vehicular trespassing.”

And there’s more. While working as a young intern for the state representative, Drolet’s job one day was to get the pig into the state Capitol, take him by elevator to the upper levels of the building and get the porker into the House gallery.

When Drolet reported back that the task was more difficult than Jaye expected, the legislator responded with a short, profanity laced tirade to get his message across to the intern.
That early experience in zany, Macomb-style politics eventually led Drolet to campaign for state Senate in 2010 with a Thanksgiving float-sized version of a Mr. Perks. Which led to his long-delayed arrest. Which will lead him to the same courtroom where Jaye was arraigned more than a decade ago on criminal charges.

Of course, Jaye was facing years in the pen. Drolet’s offense relates to a quirky attempt to ham it up on the campaign trail.

 

Oh boy. Only in Macomb County.