MARQUETTE — A local company’s lawsuits alleging two Upper Peninsula state representatives failed to pay for campaign services have been dismissed.

LaSalle Enterprises LLC in December in 96th District Court filed suit against state Rep. Sara Cambensy, D-Marquette, and state Rep. Scott Dianda, D-Calumet.

The suit alleged Cambensy owned the company $5,690 for services rendered.

Cambensy said that in October 2017, she paid LaSalle Enterprises $3,750 for campaign services, but the company wanted $5,690. After refusing, the company sued her.

An appointed three-attorney panel came back and ruled that her payment of $3,750 was sufficient, she said in an email. LaSalle agreed and signed the papers, cashing her check for $3,750 last week.

“I’m relieved this frivolous lawsuit is over,” Cambensy said in a statement. “I felt the amount of money LaSalle Enterprises wanted from me was exorbitant for the short time we worked together and the job tasks they performed.

“I take the role of protecting my campaign money and the donors who gave to me very seriously, and I’m pleased the amount of $3,750 that I tried to pay LaSalle Enterprises last fall was deemed fair by the judicial system and final.”

Dianda said in a Michigan Information & Research Service article that the Marquette County judge called LaSalle Enterprise Services’ lawsuit “frivolous” and dismissed it June 26, an action LaSalle owners Jon and Jeanne LaSalle did not oppose, according to the judge’s order.

The Dianda lawsuit was handled by Judge Karl Weber, while Cambensy’s case came before the attorney panel.

“There were no services rendered and that’s why the judge said dismissed. He threw it out, boom,” Dianda said. “I just appreciate … having the faith that (the justice system) works.

“People today have to realize the system still stands in place no matter how crazy it gets in the state, local or federal level. The system still works.”

The suit, filed in December, alleged LaSalle Enterprise provided election services to Dianda and that he “refused and neglected to pay.” However, Dianda said he “did not reach any ‘agreement’ with (LaSalle) for any ‘assistance’ in his campaign for state offices.”

It was stated in the MIRS article that court documents show the work for Dianda was purportedly for 2015, 2016 and 2017, but Jon LaSalle admitted in his deposition that there were no emails confirming the alleged agreement and no invoices were sent to Dianda prior to August 2017. In his response to Dianda’s motion to dismiss the case, Jon LaSalle replied only that he wouldn’t oppose the motion, court documents show.

The lawsuit wasn’t clear on what election services were provided to Cambensy, but she wrote a letter to the LaSalle couple that indicated the money was for “campaign management services,” according to the MIRS article.

Jon LaSalle is a former member of the Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees and retired representative of the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council in Marquette, according to a biography on the university’s website. Both he and Jeanne LaSalle are 1971 graduates of Northern Michigan University.

Cambensy, who was running at the time to fill vacant seat of the late Rep. John Kivela, represents the 109th House District, which is composed of Alger, Luce and Schoolcraft counties and part of Marquette County.

Dianda is serving his third term representing the 110th House District, which comprises Baraga, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw and Ontonagon counties as well as Powell and Ishpeming townships in Marquette County.

Christie Bleck can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.