In Michigan, a scandal is sweeping through the political landscape as two individuals are charged in connection with an alleged dark money scheme linked to former GOP leader Mike Shirkey. Attorney General Dana Nessel has taken a stand against the shadowy tactics used to fund efforts to clamp down on Governor Gretchen Whitmer's use of emergency powers during the pandemic, reported FOX 2 Detroit.
Heather Lombardini, known for her work as treasurer for Michigan! My Michigan! and president of Michigan Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility—and Sandy Baxter, associated with systematic Unlock Michigan fundraising through the former organization—are the duo facing charges. Lombardini has been slapped with a 14-year felony and two misdemeanors for her part in coordinating with Shirkey to funnel money into a ballot initiative seeking to trim the issuance of pandemic-related emergency orders, according to Nessel's office, as the investigation laid bare "extensive coordination" between the nonprofit groups and the campaign, with Baxter also on the hook for perjury, as The Detroit News noted.
The wrap sheet for these two paints a portrait of the fundraising machine behind the Unlock Michigan campaign, which fought fiercely against the perceived overreach of Whitmer's authority amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Details emerged through examinations of record, indicating direct solicitation and receipt of campaign dollars which skirted Michigan's financial disclosure rules, leading to this week's charges according to information obtained by Michigan Advance.
As the legal process unfolds, neither Lombardini nor Baxter has yet been arraigned. What remains clear in this political saga is the growing chorus from officials like Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, demanding more transparency in the shrouded waters of campaign financing, ringing the bell for a time when the influence of dark money in politics might finally be drawn out into the blazing light of accountability.
