Michigan Democrats Question $1.8 Million in TV Ad Buys for James

The Michigan Democratic Party filed a formal complaint against Republican gubernatorial candidate John James on Sunday, citing $1.8 million in recent television ad purchases. The party claims these expenditures violate state campaign finance limits and constitute an unlawful coordinated in-kind contribution from the Michigan Republican Party.

The dispute centers on advertising buys that appeared in the latest Federal Election Commission filings. Under current Michigan statutes, state political parties are restricted to $750,000 per election cycle, while individual donors may contribute a maximum of $8,325. Democrats argue that political action committees linked to the DeVos family and Elon Musk are coordinating with the James campaign to secure ad space at the discounted candidate rate, effectively bypassing these statutory caps.

Curtis Hertel, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, stated that the current spending does not align with state requirements. “Anyone who's running for governor in the state should follow state law, and they are obviously not doing that,” Hertel said. The party also sent a letter to television stations, asserting that the broadcasters have an obligation to adhere to state legal standards.

Alyvia Bailey, a spokesperson for the James campaign, defended the spending practices in a written statement. She pointed to a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that she said clarified the constitutional rights of political parties. “The United States Supreme Court made clear in the NRSC decision that political parties have the constitutional right to spend unlimited funds in coordination with their candidates,” Bailey wrote. She characterized the complaints as a sign of desperation and noted that support for James is surging.

Bailey added, “Support across Michigan for John James is surging at the right time and we look forward to victory come November 3.” Hertel acknowledged that campaign finance violations are typically investigated slowly, suggesting that regulatory action may not occur before the election.

He warned that if breaking laws in the final two weeks of a campaign becomes standard practice, other candidates will likely follow suit. “I also think that the long-term problems with this being normal would be that billionaires could buy unlimited ads at a cheaper rate than everybody else, and I think that that is absolutely wrong,” Hertel said. The election is scheduled for November 3.