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.
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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.
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posted on 01/25/2022
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.
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posted on 08/02/2021
The Michigan Republican Party was roiled by accusations that money from a secretive account had been used to pay candidates to abandon their runs for office. Potential campaign finance violations aside, experts tell MCFN it may not be illegal.
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posted on 02/11/2021
The finances that matter in tonight's House Primary, shown in three infographics.
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posted on 08/04/2020
Fundraising committees tied to nearly half of Michigan’s current state officeholders have had to pay financial penalties — called late filing fees — for failing to meet donor disclosure requirements, according to an analysis of campaign finance records. Current state officeholders’ campaigns and political action committees (PACs) have combined to pay penalties of at least $112,695 throughout the officeholders’ political careers.
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posted on 07/09/2019
As new Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson pushes for better collection of $1.5 million in unpaid campaign finance reporting penalties, an analysis of the outstanding fees shows how difficult the effort for better enforcement under current state law may be. People behind some of the committees that potentially owe the most say there's no way their committees could pay.
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posted on 06/17/2019
Compared to other states, Michigan would have a one-of-a-kind system for deciding who gets to enforce and administer campaign finance laws under bills advancing in the Legislature’s lame-duck session. The Michigan Campaign Finance Network examined the process of the 49 other states to see how the Michigan proposal compares.
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posted on 12/10/2018
The three major-party candidates in Michigan's 2018 U.S. Senate race combined to raise $20.5 million by the end of March, according to campaign finance disclosures. One of the candidates is an incumbent with a large fundraising lead. One is self-financing his campaign. And the third is receiving heavy support from some of Michigan's top donors.
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posted on 07/09/2018
Michigan lawmakers and other state officials reported having 601 fundraisers during 2017, a significant increase compared with previous years, according to a review of campaign finance disclosures. Nearly half of the events took place in downtown Lansing within walking distance of the Capitol on days the Legislature was in session.
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posted on 03/26/2018
Many of the men and women who sit on the boards that oversee Michigan’s public universities have made names for themselves in business or politics. Many also happen to be generous campaign donors.
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posted on 02/27/2018
The campaigns of 50 percent of current state lawmakers have paid fees for failure to comply with the state’s campaign finance reporting requirements. The fundraising committees of current lawmakers have paid nearly $100,000 in penalties over the lawmakers’ careers,.
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posted on 06/07/2017
