A bunch of crazies were elected on Whitmer's coat tails in the 2018 election cycle. Thanks to the largesse of your electric utility. And you.

Anyone with DTE electric and gas service donated about $ 1 towards Governor Whitmer’s election last year. DTE donated $ 840,000 to the Progressive Advocacy Trust and the Michigan Democratic State Center.  The Progressive Advocacy Trust is an ill disguised front for the Ingham County Democrats, Ms. Whitmer’s home base.

Both groups supported Whitmer in 2018 through cascade contributions made in turn to Build A Better Michigan in the 2018 primary election and A Stronger Michigan in the 2018 general election. All these groups gamed Michigan election law, laundering corporate contributions and transforming them into political advertising supporting Whitmer.

The laundering was quite effective. You would never know that DTE was contributing to Whitmer by looking at BABM’s financial disclosures. Whitmer concealed the corporate contributions further by using snail mail to file her campaign finance reports.

These contributions eventually wound up at Whitmer’s media shop, Great America Media, a Democratic campaign management outfit on K Street in Washington which placed all her mass media advertising.  They paid for her TV ad campaign.

Build A Better Michigan was actually found to have violated Michigan campaign finance laws. Only because they were screwing other Democrats in the primary election cycle.  No one of importance would have cared if only Republicans were being screwed. BABM got a sweetheart deal from our new Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, paying only $ 37,500 and agreeing to dissolve itself.

Tu quoque

A Republican group, Michigan Jobs and Labor Foundation, was fined $ 18,000 for identical campaign law violations in 2014 The MJALF fine equaled its illegal 2014 advertising expenditures. Build A Better Michigan spent $ 1.8 million in its illegal 2018 advertising campaign, so its $ 37,500 fine was 2.1% of its illegal expenditures.

Governor Whitmer and DTE got a sweetheart deal from our new Secretary of State, Jocelyn Benson.

The DTE angle, from Michigan Capitol Confidential:

DTE Donated More Than $840,000 to Democrats, Pro-Whitmer Groups in 2018
Consumers Energy was also heavily involved in politicking
By Evan Carter | May 24, 2019

Michigan’s largest electricity and gas utility gave $400,185 to groups that either directly or indirectly spent money on behalf of Gretchen Whitmer before and after her gubernatorial election victory in November 2018, according to recent filings with state energy regulators. The utility also gave $440,204 to state Democrats and $120,056 to state and national Republicans in 2018.

DTE donated $320,148 to Progressive Advocacy Trust, which the Michigan Campaign Finance Network described as being loosely associated with the Ingham County Democratic Party. The network ultimately turned around and donated $1.8 million to pro-Whitmer groups during last year’s primary and general elections. DTE also donated $80,037 to Michigan Transition 2019, which assisted then Gov.-elect Whitmer prepare to take office.

The regulated monopoly utility also gave $440,204 to the Michigan Democratic State Center (Michigan Democratic Party), $80,037 to the Michigan Republican Party and $40,019 to the Republican Governors Association in 2018.

Political donations by DTE accounted for only a portion of the millions of dollars Michigan’s two largest monopoly utilities spent on civic and political causes during 2018, an election year……

Indeed.  MCC laid out the nine largest beneficiaries of your gas and electric billings:

Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce — $562,024
Michigan Democratic State Center — $440,204
Progressive Advocacy Trust — $320,148
Edison Electric Institute — $149,878
Michigan Transition 2019 — $80,037
Michigan Republican Party — $80,037
Michigan Alliance for Business — $40,019
Republican Governors Association — $40,019
Michigan Retailers Association — $40,019

Note that DTE donated to Michigan Republicans about 10% of what they gave Whitmer, and just under another 5% of Whitmer’s total to national Republicans.  Chump change for appearances sake.

DTE claims all this money comes out of their shareholders’ pockets.  Right.  We are talking about a cost plus operation which takes us for idiots.

Consumers Energy is an even worse offender, but they have better campaign finance lawyers. They set up Citizens for Energizing Michigan’s Economy (CEME), a tax-exempt nonprofit social welfare organization, with $ 20 million in 2017 to augment their direct contributions – which alone about equal DTE’s. They spiked Gary Glenn’s State Senate campaign last year.

Faux libertarians tell us corporations are private entities which can do as they please politically.  DTE and Consumers are monopolies, guaranteed your dollars by the government.

They are not private entities, they are integral components of Michigan’s Deep State.

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