Plymouth Township Trustee Candidate: Drunken Driving Charge Shouldn't Affect Election

, a candidate for Plymouth Township Trustee in Tuesday's Republican primary, said a March 18 arrest on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated shouldn't affect the election outcome and called the release of the police report to the Detroit Free Press "politically motivated."

According to a police report released to the Free Press by current Trustee , Schulz was arrested at 3:45 a.m. on March 18 after crashing his car in a ditch near his house, the Free Press reported.

Plymouth Township Treasurer initially made the arrest public on July 17, when during public comment at a Plymouth Township Board of Trustees meeting he told Schulz he knew he had been arrested on an OWI charge in response to Schulz publicly asking Edwards whether an FBI investigation was under way in the township. 

Schulz said at the time he hadn't been convicted of a crime and on Monday, he maintained his innocence.

"I believe I'll be acquitted of all charges," Schulz said. "When the dust clears, the truth will come out."

Schulz pointed to the exchange regarding an as-of-yet unproven FBI investigation as a catalyst for the police record detailing his arrest being made public. Schulz said he could not provide details of the nature of the alleged FBI investigation. 

"This is all politically motivated," he said. "We were told if we brought out the FBI investigation as we did in public comments at the last township Board of Trustees meeting, they'd embarass me publicly."

Doroshewitz told the Free Press he obtained a copy of the police report after hearing rumors of the arrest.

"I think it's important to point out that what he's running for is a position of public trust, inherent in the title of trustee," Doroshewitz told the Free Press. "If this were me, I would have resigned the next day. Naturally, they're going to say it's political."

Schulz is facing opposition in Tuesday's primary from incumbents Doroshewitz, and , and fellow challengers , , , , , , , and .

Schulz's case will appear before in Plymouth on Aug. 28.