Michigan Democrats sue over $1.8 million in James campaign ad buys

Michigan Democrats filed a formal challenge against the John James campaign over recent advertising purchases.

The dispute centers on $1.8 million in TV ad buys that appeared in the latest Federal Election Commission filings. State law restricts political party contributions to $750,000 per election cycle. Individual donors face a cap of $8,325. Democrats argue that political action committees linked to the DeVos family and Elon Musk coordinated with the campaign to secure discounted candidate rates from TV stations.

Curtis Hertel, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, called the spending an unlawful coordinated in-kind contribution from the Michigan Republican Party. He stated that the ruling is not clear as the James team suggests. “Anyone who's running for governor in the state should follow state law, and they are obviously not doing that,” Hertel said. The MDP also sent a letter to television stations, asserting their obligation to adhere to state regulations.

Alyvia Bailey, a spokesperson for the James campaign, responded that the spending aligns with federal law. She pointed to a U.S. Supreme Court decision from this summer involving the NRSC. “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. Her team labeled the Democratic complaints a sign of desperation.

Hertel noted that finance violations are typically investigated slowly. He does not expect any enforcement action before the November 3 election. “If this becomes normal practice that people can break laws in the final two weeks of a campaign, then you're going to see everyone try to do that,” he said. He warned that the long-term effect could allow billionaires to buy unlimited ads at a cheaper rate than other donors.

Bailey said support for James is surging at the right time. The campaign looks forward to the vote on November 3.