LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – In a move that’s turning heads and raising eyebrows, Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has appointed Reid Felsing, a lawyer deeply embedded in the web of liberal dark money organizations, as a district court judge in Eaton County. This announcement comes as Whitmer faces scrutiny for what critics call a blatant contradiction of her past campaign promises of transparency and accountability.
Felsing’s judicial tenure begins on January 6, 2025, and will extend until January 1, 2027. According to the Washington Examiner, his résumé reveals more than just legal expertise though. It’s a tour of at least four left-leaning nonprofits that he has held leadership positions with.
From campaign transparency to courtroom hypocrisy.
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In 2018, Whitmer campaigned on her “Michigan Sunshine Plan,” which pledged to roll back the influence of dark money in politics. Fast forward to today, and the governor is handing a judgeship to a figure that media reports say is intricately tied to shadowy funding channels.
It’s “mind-boggling hypocrisy,” said Parker Thayer of the Capital Research Center, who first flagged Felsing’s connections. Pointing out that Whitmer previously professed to be against the unlimited dark money that flows into elections, he said, “Now, she is awarding judgeships to a Democrat fixer who sat on the board of four different left-wing ‘dark money’ groups.”
Meet Reid Felsing: The dark money dynamo.
According to the Washington Examiner report, Felsing has held leadership roles in at least four left-of- center 501(c)(4) nonprofits, including the Michigan Center Of Accountability For Republicans, and Citizens For A Better Michigan where he serves as president. These groups don’t shy away from partisan mudslinging, accusing Republicans of everything from corruption to racism in highly charged ad campaigns.
A third group, Michigan Deserves Better Fund, where Felsing serves as treasurer, has orchestrated messaging campaigns to sway local elections, while another, Residents For Good Governance, where Felsing is president, spent over $170,000 in its most recent tax filings. The financial trail often leads back to other dark money giants like Citizens for Energizing Michigan’s Economy, a shadowy funding group funneling cash to influential Democrats in the state, as reported by the Detroit News.
Nonprofit shell games and political favors.
Critics argue that Felsing’s nonprofits operate as little more than partisan attack dogs. For example, Michigan Center Of Accountability For Republicans, where Felsing serves as treasurer, funneled funds to a public affairs firm led by Jeff Timmer, a senior adviser to the anti-Trump Lincoln Project. These organizations, often under the $50,000 disclosure threshold, evade public scrutiny, leaving Michigan voters in the dark about who’s pulling the strings – and why.
Whitmer’s playbook: A history of partisan rewards.
This isn’t Whitmer’s first rodeo with questionable appointments. In 2020, her administration attempted to award lucrative COVID-19 contact-tracing contracts to Democratic data firms. Now, with Felsing’s judgeship, critics say she’s once again prioritizing political loyalty over impartial governance. “Awarding a ‘dark money’ fixer like Felsing with a judicial nomination is sadly not a break from the norm,” Thayer remarked.
Whitmer lauds Felsing as a qualified candidate with a stellar track record, and says in her press release, “I know he will uphold the rule of law and serve his community with distinction.” However, her choice underscores the widening gap between campaign rhetoric and political reality. For a governor who once vowed to shed light on shadowy political dealings, this appointment seems to cast a long, dark shadow over Michigan’s judiciary.
Dark money for Democrats.
Dark money has also been linked to Democrats concerning Michigan elections. In a November Bridge Michigan report, they point to the recent Michigan Supreme Court elections where Democratic nominees Justice Kyra Harris Bolden and law professor Kimberly Ann Thomas secured victories over their Republican counterparts.
The report says a significant factor in their success was the substantial financial backing from groups that do not disclose their donors, commonly referred to as “dark money” organizations. These groups contributed over $5 million to the races, surpassing the combined $4 million raised directly by all four candidates. This influx of untraceable funds has raised concerns among experts about the influence of undisclosed money in judicial races, as it can obscure potential conflicts of interest and undermine transparency in the electoral process.
ActBlue money funding Democrats.
Nationally, recent revelations have also suggested that ActBlue, the Democratic Party’s prominent fundraising platform, may have been involved in accepting foreign money through gift card donations, raising serious legal and ethical concerns. Critics allege that the use of untraceable gift cards creates a loophole for foreign entities to funnel money into U.S. elections, violating federal campaign finance laws. While ActBlue denies wrongdoing, calls for a thorough investigation are growing louder as watchdog groups warn this could undermine trust in the transparency of political fundraising.
The recurring theme of dark money and foreign funding in Democratic politics highlights a glaring contradiction between campaign promises and governing practices, particularly under Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s administration which is now raising critical questions about the integrity of Michigan’s judiciary.
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