The Michigan Campaign Finance Network (MCFN), a 26-year-old nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to tracking and chronicling the influence of money in Michigan politics, has hired Nick Pigeon as its next Executive Director. read more

posted on 01/06/2023

The Michigan legislature, with two-thirds majorities, sent a proposed constitutional amendment to the November ballot. It'd augment term limits and institute financial disclosure requirements, but with considerably more exceptions than what the original proponents had proposed. read more

posted on 05/12/2022

It is an ambitious package of legislation that involved more than 70 stakeholders and years of negotiations. After passing the House with bipartisan majorities, it's sat in the committee Sen. Aric Nesbitt chairs for nearly a year without a hearing. read more

posted on 04/19/2022

Key takeaway as U.S. House candidates submit campaign finance filings covering the first quarter of 2022. read more

posted on 04/15/2022

Mail from anonymous organizations is being sent to Republicans who may help decide their party's nominee for attorney general. Some delegates haven’t enjoyed the appeals. read more

posted on 03/30/2022

MCFN found at least two dozen instances where donors reported giving to Chatfield-connected accounts, totaling more than $100,000 in contributions, and the donations were never reported. Michigan's Department of State didn't ask after them. read more

posted on 02/21/2022

The former House Speaker and associates raised millions in campaign cash and dark money. Now, spending on food, travel and a connected company is under scrutiny as he faces assault claims. read more

posted on 01/25/2022

Spending reached $150 million in ads on broadcast, $23 million spent on Facebook and $15 million spent on political mail. At minimum. read more

posted on 09/16/2021

The cost of Michigan's state legislative elections have been increasing for years. But even this increase is unprecedented. Thank party spending and the outside money that inundated the state's few competitive districts. read more

posted on 08/31/2021

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer raised more than $8 million in the first half of 2021. A big chunk of it came from wealthy donors who otherwise would've violated campaign finance limits. read more

posted on 08/02/2021

While no races were as expensive as the most competitive in 2018, costs were were up. read more

posted on 06/21/2021

After weeks of speculation, the Governor's office disclosed that a nonprofit used to fund her inauguration had mostly paid for a private flight to Florida in March. Her staff characterized the nonprofit as an administrative account, and despite pledging transparency, the picture offered of the nonprofit's finances is far from complete. read more

posted on 05/14/2021

Michigan has no requirements for financial disclosures for anyone in the legislature or executive branch, and is one of just two states without any requirements for the legislature. Without them, it becomes much more difficult to determine if government officials have made self-serving decisions. read more

posted on 05/04/2021

Amid pressure, special interests largely withheld contributions to the five U.S. Representatives from Michigan who took action to delay or block the certification of the November election. read more

posted on 04/23/2021