Traci Michele Kornak, a Belmont-based attorney and former treasurer of the Michigan Democratic Party, is facing felony charges in connection with a sickening embezzlement scheme targeting a vulnerable individual under her conservatorship.
Kornak, 55, is accused of misappropriating tens of thousands of dollars from an elderly woman she was appointed to protect financially, with the total questionable transactions exceeding upwards of $242,537, prosecutors said.
The case centers on Kornak’s role as conservator for Rosalene Burd, an elderly resident of west Michigan who passed away in April 2025 at the age of 86. Court records from Allegan County Probate Court indicate that Kornak was appointed to this position in 2015 to oversee Burd’s finances and protect her interests as a vulnerable adult.
Prosecutors allege that Kornak engaged in financial exploitation, including unauthorized transfers and payments from Burd’s accounts to herself or related entities. Some reports suggest the misconduct continued even after Burd’s death, with the total amount in question surpassing $400,000 according to testimony in legislative hearings.
Kornak is facing one count of embezzlement from a vulnerable adult of $50,000 or more but less than $100,000, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison; one count of embezzlement from a vulnerable adult of $1,000 or more but less than $20,000; and one count of false pretenses of $1,000 or more but less than $20,000.
“The charges were the product of an investigation by the Kent County Sheriff’s Department that began three years ago at the request of the Adult Protective Services,” Kent County Prosecutor Christopher Becker said during a press conference.
BREAKING: Former Michigan Democratic Party treasurer Traci Kornak CHARGED for allegedly embezzling money from an incapacitated adult who she was a conservator for.
Traci is close with Michigan AG Dana Nessel who’s accused of burying the case for years.
Traci was charged by the… pic.twitter.com/MvuhjWJoG1
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 2, 2026
Kornak has long had significant involvement in Michigan Democratic Party politics.
She served as the volunteer treasurer for the Michigan Democratic Party from spring 2019 until May 2025, as confirmed by party spokesman Derrick Honeyman. Prior to that, she was a member of Attorney General Dana Nessel’s 2018 transition team following Nessel’s election victory.
Kornak has also been a donor to Democratic causes, contributing $100 to Nessel’s 2018 campaign and the maximum $7,150 to Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s 2022 reelection effort, where she served on the leadership council of “Women for Whitmer,” according to a report from the Detroit News.
A separate but related inquiry by the Michigan Attorney General’s office in 2022 focused on allegations of insurance fraud involving Kornak and a Grand Rapids nursing home, which accused her of “inappropriate and unauthorized” invoicing, the outlet reported. That investigation began in September 2022, separate from Nessel’s office due to her prior association with Kornak.
