DOUBLE TROUBLE

Congressman Tom Barrett (R- Ingham, Livingston, Clinton and Shiawassee counties, and parts of Genesee and Oakland) seems to have missed the ethics part of civics classes in high school. The first term congressman – who filled the seat now-Senator Elissa Slotkin (D) vacated to run for Senate and is running for re-election – has filled the coffers, to the tune of a total of $50,000, of a law firm and a software firm that his wife has worked for, which then donated to his campaign. It seems that Barrett channeled $30,000 in campaign funds from the Barrett Brigade Victory Fund to the Butzel Long law firm for legal services in 2023, right after his wife was hired, according to Politico. The firm’s PAC, which had not previously contributed to his campaign, then donated $13,000. His wife was subsequently hired by the software company Aristotle International which Barrett’s campaign then doubled its payments to, according to FEC records. “Barrett’s actions raise serious questions about whether he could be personally profiting off his campaign, and he owes Michigan voters answers,” said Michigan Democratic Party spokesperson Sara Isaacson. Barrett is running unopposed in the GOP primary. Elyon Badger, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink, Lansing tenants’ rights advocate William Lawrence, retired Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam and physician Muhammad Salman Rais are all duking it out for the Democratic nomination to face Barrett.

Tom Barrett