Illegal “$100,000 Club” Contributions to Whitmer Prompt New Campaign Finance Complaint
Michigan Freedom Fund Asks Secretary of State Benson to Follow State Law, Hold Whitmer’s Fat-Cat Donors Accountable
LANSING, Mich. – The executive director of the Michigan Freedom Fund today filed a formal campaign finance complaint against ten members of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s “$100,000 Club” – a group comprised of donors who each illegally gave over $100,000 to Whitmer’s campaign in violation of the $7,150 contribution limit in state law.
The complaint was filed with the Bureau of Elections, a division of Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s office. On July 20, 2021, Benson herself received and returned an illegal excessive contribution of $6,150 from trial lawyer Mark Bernstein, while keeping $7,150. Whitmer on the same date illegally collected and has refused to return a staggering $250,000 from Bernstein.
“Whitmer’s $100,000 Club is comprised of far-left liberals who illegally gave Whitmer’s campaign six-figure donations – a violation of state law that limits the amount a person can give to $7,150,” said Tori Sachs, executive director of the Michigan Freedom Fund. “Secretary Benson should immediately take action to fine each member of ‘Whitmer’s $100,000 Club’ the amount of their excessive contribution and Whitmer should disgorge the illegal money, along with paying a fine equal to the amount of the illegal donations.”
The complaint names 10 members of Whitmer’s illegal “$100,000 Club,” including:
- Mark Bernstein, a trial lawyer from Farmington Hills who illegally contributed $250,000 on July 20 after a donation of $7,150 on Dec. 30, 2019
- B. Pritzker, the Governor of Illinois, who illegally funneled $250,000 to the Governor on July 8, 2021
- Ronda Stryker from Richland, MI, who illegally funneled $250,000 to the Governor on June 23, 2021
- Patricia Stryker from Fort Collins, CO, who illegally gave $250,000 to the Governor on April 12, 2021
- Stacy Schusterman from Tulsa, OK, who illegally gave $250,000 on April 15, 2021
- Ahmed Boomrod from Dearborn, MI, who illegally contributed $50,000 on May 19, 2020, $55,000 on July 8, 2021, and $2,500 on June 14, 2021 after donating $7,150 on June 4, 2019
- James Offield from Harbor Springs, MI, who illegally gave $100,000 on April 19, 2021 after a donation of $7,150 on Oct. 28, 2019
- Karla Jurveston from Los Altos, CA, who illegally gave $100,000 on April 29, 2021 and $1,000 on Oct. 13, 2020
- Heidi Stolte from Seattle, WA, who illegally gave $100,000 on May 5, 2021
- Stephen Silberstein from Belvedere Tiburon, CA, who illegally gave the Governor $100,000 on May 10, 2021
Each of the individuals named in today’s complaint violated MCL 169.252 by making excessive contributions to the Whitmer campaign.
The Michigan Freedom Fund works to advance conservative ideas, hold our government accountable to taxpayers, and protect Freedom, opportunity, and workers’ Constitutional rights. For more information, please visit MichiganFreedomFund.com.
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