LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel recently clarified key points about how politicians in the state need to disclose their finances. This came after Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson asked for clarification on certain rules.

Why the clarification?

The goal of this clarification is to make sure politicians follow both the Michigan Constitution and a law called the Public Officers Financial Disclosure Act (PFDA) to help make government actions more transparent.

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One big issue clarified is that public officials must share personal details like addresses when they report where they get money from investments. Nessel says this helps people know if politicians might have conflicts of interest.

Addressing transparency concerns.

Another important point Nessel made is that politicians have to report if they have received gifts, travel money, or payments from lobbyists, even if the lobbyists don’t report it themselves.

Reporting payments.

Additionally, the PFDA outlines that politicians have to tell about any payments, no matter how small, from lobbyists to charities in lieu of honoraria instead of paying them directly. Honoraria are payments given to people for their services without a legal requirement for payment. These are usually small payments given to show appreciation for someone’s time or expertise, often for things like speaking at events.

These clarifications coincide with the launch of the Michigan Transparency Network (MiTN), an online platform where politicians can file their financial reports. The platform, which came from Proposal 1, requires politicians to give detailed reports about their income, assets, and other financial details, including those of their spouses. The website allows the public to see these reports easily.