Michigan Democrat’s Lansing Swamp: A Recap

September 20, 2022

Lansing, Mich., September 20, 2022 – Michigan Democrat Officials have utilized the powers of the state government for the benefit of their own personal interests since taking office. While Michigan residents deal with record inflation, rising crime, and failing schools, Governor Whitmer and her allies have spent nearly four years reaping the benefits of the Lansing Swamp.

COVID Rules For Thee, Not For Me

• May 2020: While urging Michigan residents not to travel and enforcing strict stay-at-home orders, Governor Whitmer’s husband pleaded with a northern Michigan marina to get their boat in the water before Memorial Day weekend – going as far as name dropping the governor to obtain preferential treatment.
• March & April 2020: After issuing warnings to Michiganders against traveling for Spring break vacations, Governor Whitmer and several members of her administration opted to ignore those warnings. Whitmer’s Chief Operating Officer, Tricia Foster vacationed in the Florida Keys, DHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel spent time in Alabama, and Whitmer and her family went to Florida.
• May 2021: Governor Whitmer’s COVID orders included limiting indoor dining to six people per table, but that did not stop Whitmer and twelve of her friends from joining tables at the Landshark Bar & Grill in East Lansing. Whitmer would rescind the order a day later, but did not rescind fines issued to establishments that had violated the order.

Skirting Campaign Finance Laws

• 2018: A pro-Whitmer group, Build a Better Michigan, violated Michigan Campaign Finance law, spending more than $2.7 million in illegal campaign advertisements. Despite the precedent of a ‘dollar-for-dollar’ fine, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson issued a paltry $37,500 fine.
• 2021: After news of Whitmer’s vacation to Florida on a private jet was made public, Whitmer attempted to pay for the flight through a nonprofit corporation. When it became clear that strategy would run afoul of federal law, Whitmer used campaign funds. While state law clearly prohibits using campaign funds for personal travel, Secretary of State Benson okayed the expense.
• 2022: Despite a clear conflict of interest, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson allowed Governor Whitmer to launder $3.4 million in illegal campaign contributions to the Michigan Democratic Party.

I’ve Got Your Back

• May 2020: Governor Whitmer gave the “green light” for a no-bid COVID contact tracing contract to a democrat political consulting firm.
• 2021: Attorney General Dana Nessel refused to investigate Whitmer’s deadly nursing home policies, even telling nursing home industry executives “there was no accountability to be had”
• August 2021: Despite being exempted from Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act laws, Governor Whitmer’s office reviews FOIA responses from Executive Branch Agencies before they are released to the public. When running for office in 2018, Whitmer vowed that her communications staff would provide requested information and not require FOIA requests.
• March 2021: After Whitmer’s Health Department Director, Robert Gordon had left in January 2021, it was revealed that he was provided a $155,000 golden parachute along with a confidentiality agreement.
• March 2021: Similarly, after Whitmer’s Unemployment Agency Director left in November 2020, he was given an $85,872 separation agreement, also with a confidentiality agreement.
• April 2021: Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein left the State of Michigan and worked remotely in Dubai. 
• May 2021: Attorney General Dana Nessel hired her former business partner Chris Kessel for a senior position in her office making $134,000. He had previously been retained on a contract basis, making $125 per hour.