Complaint filed against anti-clean energy group for illegally hiding donors to ballot campaign

More than $53,000 raised from Our Home, Our Voice goes to Citizens for Local Choice; collusion between two groups evident, complaint states

 

LANSING, Mich. – Our Home, Our Voice has been collecting secret donations from undisclosed donors for the sole purpose of funneling the money to an anti-clean energy ballot campaign run by Citizens for Local Choice, a new campaign finance complaint submitted today to the state alleges. 

 

Dating back to at least November 2023, Our Home, Our Voice has been soliciting and accepting funds for and advancing a statewide ballot initiative while failing to register as a ballot question committee and file required reports in violation of the Michigan Campaign Finance Act, according to the complaint. Instead, it’s using its 501(c)(4) social welfare status to illegally hide dark money donations. The scheme is similar to what took place between Michigan! My Michigan! and the Unlock Michigan ballot effort — which has resulted in criminal charges being filed. 

 

The complaint, filed by John Tuckerman of Blissfield, Michigan, details several allegations and calls upon Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to investigate further:

 

• Through a series of Facebook posts, Kevon Martis and Norman Stephens have directed people to donate money to Our Home, Our Voice to support the anti-clean energy ballot initiative, with more than $53,000 in secret contributions donated thus far. 
• The source code for Our Home, Our Voice’s website is the same as the website for Citizens for Local Choice.
• Reporting by Planet Detroit has revealed Roger Johnson is both the treasurer for Citizens for Local Choice and the resident agent for Our Home, Our Voice. Stephens serves as Facebook administrator for Our Home, Our Voice while serving as a member of the Citizens for Local Choice ballot committee. Martis, who is spokesperson for Our Home, Our Voice, is also a member of the Citizens for Local Choice ballot committee.
• Additionally, the same addresses appear in Our Home, Our Voice’s Articles of Incorporation and Citizens for Local Choice’s Statement of Organization.

 

“It’s clear the illegal Unlock Michigan playbook is being used again at the shared office of Our Home, Our Voice and Citizens for Local Choice,” said Mark Brewer, the attorney who filed the complaint on Tuckerman’s request. “We call on the Secretary of State to investigate this collusion immediately and hold these bad actors accountable for an illegal scheme to conceal donors to this ballot campaign.”

 

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Paid for by Michigan League of Conservation Voters, 340 Beakes St STE 110, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, with regulated funds.