LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — The flights may have been first-class, but the disclosure wasn’t. A nonprofit that helped send Gov. Gretchen Whitmer abroad is now accused of flying under Michigan’s lobbying radar.

Bob LaBrant, a longtime political attorney and former counsel for the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, filed a complaint November 3 arguing the Michigan Economic Development Foundation (MEDF) should have registered as a lobbyist and disclosed spending tied to its access to state officials.

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The complaint follows reporting that companies donating to MEDF received board seats and invited access to Whitmer and state economic development chief Quentin Messer at private events. Many of those same companies later secured state incentive deals.

MEDF, which presents itself as a charitable foundation supporting business development, has covered costs for Whitmer’s trips abroad, including visits to Spain, Asia, and the Middle East. It reported $453,860 spent on “investment missions” in 2024, according to The Detroit News.

LaBrant said the group has become “a state-sanctioned slush fund,” writing that without lobby registration and disclosure, “transparency and accountability is lost.”

Michigan caps unregistered lobbying at $3,175 a year. LaBrant argued MEDF crossed that threshold by funding travel, food, and private policy events involving public officials and economic development decision-makers.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has been asked to refer the complaint to Attorney General Dana Nessel for review. If the foundation is found to have violated state lobbying law, penalties could include fines and misdemeanor charges.