Michigan Asst. Attorney General: Stalking a College Student Not Personal, Just Political.

This is madness:

Anderson Cooper interviews Michigan Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell, who has dedicated a stand-alone, frequently updated blog to attacking Chris Armstrong, the openly gay student-body president of the University of Michigan.

Shirvell’s blog includes long rants about Armstrong’s personal life, chronicles Armstrong’s Facebook activity as well as the lives of Armstrong’s friends and family members, and includes photos of Armstrong taken secretly by Shirvell himself. Shirvell even posts a very shaky video, which he took himself, of Armstrong’s house at night. Shirvell writes long, rambling posts about Armstrong’s sexuality and speculating in great detail about Armstrong’s sex life. An image of a swastika-laden rainbow flag photoshopped over Armstrong’s face makes an appearance.

I have to wonder though, if the object of Shirvell’s attention was a college woman, would he even still be employed?

Latest posts by Shani (see all)

  • Good point. But sad to say, the answer to your question is “probably not”. Men in power seem to be quite able to harass, consequence-free, whomever they choose.

  • Grump

    I jokingly say to people that its not stalking until you ruffle the bush. What this guy has done is akin to deforestation.

  • Trent

    @Grump: lol@ “I jokingly say to people that its not stalking until you ruffle the bush. What this guy has done is akin to deforestation.”

    I really don’t know that much about the whole case. But just reading the short comment above it does seem like this Asst Attorney General really has a rise for the college kid in question. Just from the story above it seems like the AAG is out to get this kid if it is the last thing he ever does.

    Does anyone know the specifics, why the AAG is trying so hard to put the screws to this kid? What is the kids crime?

  • Dude, he is *totally* not going to have his job for long. Believe me. In the meantime, this story is hi-larious. (The stalkee seems to be a sensible young man who is getting good legal advice, so I am not terribly guilt-ridden about my enjoyment of this crazy-ass story.)

  • Val

    Anybody wanna take bets on how long it will be until Shirvell gets busted with a male prostitute?

  • Michael

    This is crazy…Just caught the clip on CNN/Anderson Cooper. This is too crazy. Why is this guy allowed to keep his job? As an AG, he should be held to some type of higher standard? The student should consider filing some type of injunction against this fool-does he not have anything else to do with his life?

  • tracy

    does he not have anything better to do with his spare time! How sad this is a perfect example of a spoiled brat trying to make himself an important figure, when really he is looking like an important jack ***:(

  • Robert

    You would think that there would be somebody breathing down this guys neck. How long can he keep up this nonsense before the victimizer (in this case the AG) ultimately becomes the ‘victim’ by his own doing. I mean you can only get away with this kind of thing for so long once it is out in the open. At least that is what seems logical.

    Even though this story has some very serious underlying and ethical issues on the part of the AG, it really is hilarious when you read it isn’t it!

    I guess I’m not ashamed to admit that I got some enjoyment out of the whole thing myself.

  • brent

    I try to avoid, and I admit its difficult some times, making comments about either the psychology or the motives of people I don’t really know but really, that guy’s behavior screams “closeted and self-loathing homosexual.”

  • cocolamala

    isn’t this indecorous behavior, indicative of bad judgment, meaning he’s probably too biased to do his job seeking justice for the public, as assistant atty general?

    it makes me wonder what other unethical practices he is doing. what other types of abuse is he heaping on law abiding individuals in Michigan? like, if the atty general’s job is to serve and protect the state, what indication do we have that he is interested at all in protecting the rights of gay Michiganers, or their businesses? this just makes me feel like he isn’t really able to do his job, because he is prejudiced.

    if this school president (or another gay person in MIchigan) had a complaint that he needed the assistant atty general to settle I just don’t have any confidence that this assistant atty gen would actually be diligent about carrying out his duties, because of his prejudice

    it seems really unethical, and if he were a judge this would be cause for getting fired.

    i wonder what the Michigan state bar association has to say about this guy.

  • Darth Paul

    This guy works at an agency whose role is to actively prosecute. This sort of behavior IS outrageous, but something of a occupational hazard, psychologically speaking.

    The weasliness of the MI governement indicates serious corruption. Most state gov’ts would act quickly and decisivey in shutting him up or terminating his employment. This is yet another embarassment to the state of Michigan. They’re employing a histrionic sociopath with a martyr complex that self-righteously brags about stalking a college student. How exactly is that noble or even correct?

    I’ll bet we’ll find that this sad excuse for an American is heavily funded and advised by some stanktimonious right-wing group.

  • -k-

    It’s embarrassing that this ass has held onto his position for this long.

    He’s barred from U of M, at least. Our campus police have a trespass warning issued against him– hopefully this affords Armstrong some physical protection.

  • Steve

    only invited readers can read the blog. Oh well. This dude is obviously gay though.