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Brian Breslin, chair of MSU Board of Trustees, won’t run again

Associated Press
Michigan State University Board of Trustees Chairman Brian Breslin reads a statement regarding MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon during a press conference on Friday, Jan. 19, 2018, in the Hannah Administration Building on the MSU campus in East Lansing.

EAST LANSING – Brian Breslin will not seek re-election this year as a Michigan State University trustee.

Breslin is chairman of the MSU Board of Trustees. He has expressed support for President Lou Anna Simon during the controversy over Larry Nassar, who sexually assaulted girls while he was an MSU sports doctor.

In a statement issued Saturday, Breslin said he told his family of his decision not to seek re-election in mid-2016 and informed the chairman of the Michigan Republican Party of his decision in October 2017. 

Voters choose candidates who are nominated by political parties.

Breslin said it was an honor to serve on the board of trustees. 

"As a trustee, I believe I was elected to serve in a manner that considers the best interests of the university, both over the short term and the long term, and to lead with integrity and to the best of my ability," Breslin said in a statement. "Given the challenges created by the events surrounding the Larry Nassar matter, a positive consequence of my early decision is the freedom to focus all my efforts on serving this great university without the distraction of the campaign process.”

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Trustees on Friday asked Attorney General Bill Schuette to investigate how MSU handled allegations against Nassar. Some victims say they were ignored for years.

The 66-year-old Breslin is son of the late Jack Breslin, who was an MSU administrator during decades of campus growth. The basketball arena is named for Breslin.

More:The LSJ Editorial Board on Larry Nassar

Reporter Beth LeBlanc contributed to this report.

Watch below as Olympic gold medalists Aly Raisman and Jordyn Wieber address Larry Nassar: