House minority leader Matt Hall asked to step down amid domestic violence allegations

FOX 2 (WJBK) - Michigan House Minority Leader Matt Hall is under fire by members of his own party amid domestic violence allegations.

Police records show that Hall, of southwest Michigan, was accused of domestic violence against his girlfriend in 2019 but was never charged, according to a Daily Beast report. He was also accused of interfering with a 911 call. 

Now, Republican State Rep. Jim DeSana of Wyandotte is calling on Hall to step down.

"Our caucus would not have elected Matt Hall as our leader had we known this," DeSana said. "I think it’s a basic question of honesty. This report came out and we got factual information on the report and the facts are completely different than what Matt has told us."

The Daily Beast quotes a document from the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office and reports that Hall and his girlfriend were driving to Indiana when he "became angry and smashed her phone screen."

DeSana said there are other details that he feels are grounds for resignation.

"Ending a 911 call, hanging up on 911, and then when they call you back - ignoring the call," DeSana said. "When somebody repeatedly asks you to take them home, turnaround and take them home, and you refuse, when somebody texts you from 911 and you ignore the texts, smashing somebody’s cell phone who is in your car – in an incident like this, and then denying all of it. "

Fox 2 reached out to Hall’s communications team for a comment. Instead, his team referred FOX 2 to one of Hall’s fellow caucus leaders, who is standing firmly behind him.

"Leader Hall proved himself as an effective legislator when he led the joint oversight committee and and held testimony that was nationally renowned," said Rep. Andrew Beeler of Port Huron. "He has proven himself a thorough legislator as our caucus chair last term, and then he won resoundingly in an election for caucus leader." 

Beeler questioned the timing of both the Daily Beast Report and DeSana’s whistleblowing.

"Two weeks ago or so, Leader Hall is publicly calling out the governor now that we’re 54/54 in the House, calling out Speaker Tate to come together and agree on a shared power agreement," Beeler said. "And just in the nick of time – an extremely partisan, extremely debunked story that has zero merit to it is reported by an outlet with limited credibility. We know they're a partisan outlet."

DeSana is standing by his demand for a change.

According to the Daily Beast report, the girlfriend in the 2019 incident backtracked on some of the claims initially made against Hall.

Hall did not respond for comment.