LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — A 2022 gathering at Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s home is prompting new scrutiny after documents revealed the event wasn’t just an economic “briefing,” but a meet-and-greet with donors to a private nonprofit that helps bankroll her overseas travel.
The invitation—complete with Michigan’s Great Seal, which state law reserves for official duties—told guests the governor “requests the pleasure of your company.” Behind the tent and buffet setup, however, attendees included executives from utilities, insurers, and companies that had recently received more than a billion dollars in state incentives, according to The Detroit News.
Internal schedules listed the reception as a “donor event,” and planning documents referenced “potential contributors,” even as Whitmer’s administration insists the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and the Michigan Economic Development Foundation (MEDF) operate independently.
Calendars and emails, however, suggest otherwise: MEDC staff coordinated the logistics while MEDF’s lead fundraiser helped run point.
Still, Whitmer spokesman Bobby Leddy dismissed such concerns as “wild conspiracy theories and accusations” that were “false, offensive and … debunked over and over,” insisting it was merely “a briefing on the state of Michigan’s economy.”
It’s worth noting that state law makes improper use of the Great Seal a misdemeanor—a small detail that now casts a much bigger shadow over the gathering.