Leonard Working Full Time While Running For Governor

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 07/23/2025) Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Leonard said last week at a campaign event that he is not on leave from his job as partner at the law firm of Plunkett Cooney, where he is the firm's government relations, public policy and regulatory group leader.

“I've got two full-time jobs right now,” he answered in response to a question from MIRS.

He registered as a lobbyist in 2020 and his registration is still active, which got the attention of the Michigan Democratic Party.

“Tom Leonard cashed in as a lobbyist for special interests after leaving office — and now he just can’t stop cashing those big checks even as he campaigns for governor,” said Michigan Democratic Party spokesman Derrick Honeyman. "Leonard’s continued lobbying is a glaring conflict of interest, and it raises ethical questions on whether his campaign for governor is just a means to line his pockets even more?”