He announced today that he will step down effective November 1.
In his statement, Dillon said his recent divorce "distracted" him from his work:
“It is with mixed emotions that I announce I have tendered my resignation to Governor Snyder. It has become clear to me-- as it likely is to most -- that it is unfair to my family and the residents of Michigan, to allow issues related to my recent divorce and the unfortunate acrimony associated with it to be a continued source of media attention and scrutiny. My family deserves privacy and our residents deserve to know their State Treasurer is not distracted by such issues and events. For these personal and professional reasons, I have determined it is in the best interests of all that I resign."
Dillon was both praised and criticized for his role in ushering the city of Detroit into bankruptcy. In a statement, Governor Rick Snyder praised Dillon for his tireless work and expertise.
Dillon's announcement comes one day after he was deposed by union lawyers about Detroit's bankruptcy.
"The decision to seek bankruptcy protection was not an easy one but was determined to be the only remaining way to address Detroit's long-running financial crisis," Dillon said yesterday after the three-hour meeting.
Dillon was appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder in January 2011, after an unsuccessful run for the Democratic nomination in the state’s 2010 gubernatorial election.
Bill Ballenger is with the newsletter Inside Michigan Politics. He says it was a little surprising it took this long for Dillon to step down, but he says he saw no sign that Dillon's personal turmoil was affecting his job performance.
"It made it unlikely he could continue to be any kind of an asset," said Ballenger. "On the other hand there hasn't been any criticism of Andy Dillon's performance as state treasurer.
