LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Democrats in Lansing have been caught up in a culture of corruption, according to the Michigan Freedom Fund (MFF). It’s a non-profit group run by Michiganders who work to advance, promote and protect Michigan workers’ constitutional rights. In a press release, MFF has outlined a list of shady dealings that have been going on with Michigan Democrats, exposing them by unveiling a culture of misconduct.
What is the “culture of misconduct?”
MFF says in their press release, “For too long, Michigan Democrats have shaped a culture of corruption in Lansing.” The group also promise to continue to monitor things in the coming year – murky connections, conflicts of interest, and potential instances of corruption, especially the cases that go unreported.
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Their 2023 list includes Rep. Joey Andrews (D-St. Joseph) who they say is still listed as the owner of a solar panel installation company. This is important because Andrews had passed the “100% clean energy” package through the Energy Committee, which he chairs, and did not recuse himself from voting for bills that could benefit him and his company. Andrews has also acknowledged in an interview that his sister is a lobbyist for a green energy group.
MFF also includes Rep. Angela Witwer (D-Delta Twp.) on their list. They say as Appropriations Chair, she refused to disclose her financial ties to her PR firm which has active state contracts which are funded by tax dollars. Speaker Joe Tate refused to investigate Witwer’s murky connections. MFF reports that she also admitted to hosting a private baby shower in an official government meeting space which is in conflict with Michigan House rules.
Another Democrat who appears on the MFF list of dubious Democrats is Rep. Phil Skaggs (D-East Grand Rapids). Skaggs sponsored a transparency bill that wouldn’t require the income of spouses to be disclosed until 2028. Rep. Skaggs’s wife, Kate, is a lobbyist for a group, NexAmp. The group submitted a card of support for Rep. Skagg’s solar bill after Kate became an active lobbyist for the group.
What about the state’s top Democrats?
Bringing up the rear on the MFF list are two of the most powerful women in Michigan government, Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. MFF reports that the governor’s phone number linked to her 2022 campaign was also used by a group that harassed citizens in Marshall, MI who oppose the new EV battery factory. She also appointed Scott Bowen to be the new head of Michigan’s DNR. Bowen had donated to her several times, including a $50K donation in 2021 which violated campaign finance laws. Additionally, a report revealed that Whitmer’s administration used code words to communicate about the severity of the Benton Harbor water crisis.
The Secretary of State, Jocelyn Benson, according to MFF, makes their list for failing to include her position as President of the Michigan Center for Election Law and Administration, a 501(c)(3) in her 2018 voluntary financial disclosure statement (filed 2019). She remained as president until September 2020 according to MI LARA documents. The ‘nonpartisan voter education’ nonprofit received a nearly $12 million grant in 2020 from the Center for Election Innovation and Research, according to tax documents and utilized known Democrat vendors in 2020 according to tax documents.
Michigan News Source reached out to the Democrats who appeared on the MFF list to see what they had to say about making their list but they did not return our requests for comment.
