dark money | Michigan Radio
WUOMFM

dark money

State Senate committee to take up set of transparency bills, SOS says they don’t go far enough

By • Mar 15, 2021
State capitol
Lester Graham / Michigan Radio

A state Senate committee will take up a bipartisan set of government transparency bills Tuesday. But Michigan’s top elections official says the bills don’t go far enough.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson oversees the state’s financial disclosure laws. She says bills to require more disclosure by state lawmakers and the governor’s office are better than the status quo. But she says “dark money” donations should be banned, and lawmakers should have to report outside sources of income.

$100 million to be spent on race for US Senate

By • Oct 4, 2020
Courtesy Michigan Campaign Finance Network

The spending on the race for U.S. Senate could reach $100 million. The campaigns of Republican John James and incumbent Democrat Gary Peters together have spent about $35 million on radio and TV alone.

But, the biggest spending is coming from outside Michigan.

DeVos-funded PAC raises $800,000 to unseat Sen. Gary Peters

By • Feb 17, 2020
Money
User 401(K) 2012 / Flickr http://bit.ly/1xMszCg

If you’ve been online recently, chances are you’ve seen a few political ads popping up in your social media feeds. Behind the scenes, big money is flowing to some of Michigan’s contested races. Detroit News reporter Craig Mauger has been tracking where that money ends up. 

Stateside: Sounds of state parks inspire album; partnership districts check-in; Maya Lin exhibit

By • May 17, 2019
Beach
Lindsey Smith / Michigan Radio

 

Today on Stateside, an update on the partnership agreements school districts signed with the state to avoid school closures in 2017. Plus, we talk to our Friday political commentators about the recent indictment of state Representative Larry Inman (R-Traverse City), and the effect of “dark money” on the public's trust in government.

 

Consumers Energy agrees to stop dark money donations for two years

By • Jan 29, 2019
CEME

Consumers Energy has agreed to stop giving money to non-profit political advocacy groups for two years, under the terms of a rate case settlement agreement with the Michigan Public Service Commission.

That's after the state's largest utility gave more than $43 million between 2014 and 2017 to a controversial dark money PAC to oppose issues and defeat political candidates it did not like.  

Gov. Snyder has a busy final week ahead

By • Dec 23, 2018
steve carmody / Michigan Radio

Gov. Rick Snyder is moving into his final week on the job, but he’s still got a lot left to do.

Last week, the legislature sent the governor the last of more than 400 bills and resolutions passed during their lame duck session after the November election.

Michigan legislature passes bill to protect ID's of non-profit donors

By • Dec 18, 2018
steve carmody / Michigan Radio

The governor’s desk is the next stop for a bill to protect the identities of non-profit donors, including to political advocacy groups.

It would be a misdemeanor for a public official to require non-profits to disclose their donor list for government review under the legislation the state House approved today. 

State Senator Mike Shirkey (R-Clarklake) defends his bill against charges it’s intended to shield big name political donors trying to influence Michigan politics.

Mailers, commercials, and donations: Tracking all the money in local elections is not easy

By • Nov 6, 2017
Courtesy of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network

Tomorrow is Election Day. It’s an off-year election focused on local issues and races.

But there’s still plenty of money being poured into these local races – dark money, out-of-state money, and SuperPAC money.

Craig Mauger from the Michigan Campaign Finance Network joined Stateside today to explain how money influences our local politics, and how hard it can be to track that money.

Political roundup: Bipartisan panel criticizes new rules that codify unlimited “dark money”

By • Sep 15, 2017
picture of Michigan legislative chambers
Lester Graham / Michigan Radio

 


The Michigan Senate yesterday passed legislation that could vastly increase corporate and special interest spending on campaigns.

Vicki Barnett, a former mayor of Farmington Hills and a former Democratic legislator, and Joe Haveman, a former chair of the Michigan House Appropriations Committee and a current candidate for state Senate joined Stateside on Friday to discuss.

Trying to fix Michigan's disgraceful legislative ethics

By Jack Lessenberry • Mar 20, 2017
Jack Lessenberry

When it comes to ethics and integrity in government, Michigan is a disgrace. That’s not just my opinion. A little over a year ago, the Center for Public Integrity ranked our legislature worst among the fifty states in an analysis of state government transparency and accountability. We have few restraints on legislative behavior.

Report: "Dark Money" dominates spending on Michigan Supreme Court political campaigns

By • Mar 19, 2017
steve carmody / Michigan Radio

A new report is raising questions about transparency in Michigan Supreme Court elections.

Craig Mauger is with the Michigan Campaign Finance Network. He says in 2016 so-called "dark money" helped the two Republican incumbents outspend their Democratic challengers by more than 30 to one.

"Democracy dies in the dark": More than a third of Michigan lawmakers tied to secret corporate cash

By • Oct 14, 2016
Lester Graham / Michigan Radio

 

This week two stories were released about secretive funds benefiting Michigan legislators and the Republican and Democratic parties.

The stories were a joint investigation of MLive and the Michigan Campaign Finance Network.

Mailers, radio ads, robocalls: How dark money groups tried to influence 5 GOP primary races

By • Aug 12, 2016
Courtesy of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network

It looks like dark money groups were hard at work trying to influence your vote during last week’s primary – particularly targeting Republicans running for the State House.

Craig Mauger heads up the Michigan Campaign Finance Network.

“This was an effort, a well-orchestrated effort, to keep extremely conservative candidates out of the House GOP caucus,” Mauger told us.

He sat down with us today to talk about what role these secret donors play, and why they’re so hard to identify.

Washington D.C. group complains to IRS about a Michigan non-profit's campaign spending

By Bryce Huffman • Jun 16, 2016
hand with money
Pictures of Money / Flickr - http://j.mp/1SPGCl0

A Washington D.C. group has filed a complaint against a Michigan non-profit for its political spending.

Citizens for Responsible Ethics, or CREW, filed a complaint with the IRS against Michigan Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility. 

Jordan Libowitz is with CREW. He says Michigan Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility failed to report  $290,000 in political spending in 2014.  He says that violates the group's non-profit status.

"So we're seeing a disturbing trend with more and more groups trying to get away with this because they think they can," Libowitz says.