Latest campaign finance filings show DTE, Consumers handed out $250,000-plus to lawmakers in just 6 months
More than half of Michigan’s 148 lawmakers took money from the for-profit utility companies they oversee
LANSING – The latest campaign finance filings with the state of Michigan, released by the Secretary of State at the end of July, show the state’s monopoly utilities, DTE and Consumers Energy, gave lawmakers more than a quarter of a million dollars in just the first two quarters of this year.
More than half of Michigan’s 148 lawmakers took money this year from the very utilities they are charged with overseeing and regulating through policy.
“While Michigan families continue to pay the highest rates in the Midwest for the worst service, DTE and Consumers are writing check after check to lawmakers helping their CEOs protect this broken status quo,” said Bob Allison, deputy director of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. “Michiganders of all political stripes chafe at our elected leaders being so blatantly influenced by the very utilities they, by law, are responsible for overseeing on behalf of us.”
A deeper look at the data reveals this is a bi-partisan issue. DTE, for example, wrote $10,000 checks to both the Republican and Democrat caucuses in the House and Senate in the first and second quarters of this year. That money is in addition to large direct contributions to individual lawmakers.
Consumers followed a similar strategy, with both caucuses and many legislators receiving thousands of dollars. Both utilities provide the most expensive service in the Midwest for some of the worst reliability in the country, according to a report by the independent, non-partisan Citizens Utility Board.
In fact, lawmakers sitting on the two Energy Committees were overwhelmingly targeted by DTE and Consumers – with 26 out of 30 receiving utility contributions.
The 103rd Legislature has been historically inactive – passing only six bills since convening and struggling to pass a budget, despite ongoing concerns about skyrocketing energy costs.
Important to note: The money included in this campaign finance report is just what is publicly reportable — as both DTE and Consumers also fund and run shadowy nonprofits that pour millions into lawmaker-aligned accounts that are not required to disclose their donors.
In 2022, a nonprofit linked to DTE spent close to $5 million, including on lobbying, advertising and contributions to funds associated with elected officials. A Consumers-funded nonprofit reported spending more than $4.5 million that same year on similar activities.
The Michigan League of Conservation Voters’ Digital Scorecard has always tracked and scored legislative votes on environmental and democracy issues in Lansing. This spring, our organization made the biggest update to the tool in the past decade – now allowing Michiganders to see how much money their lawmaker is taking from DTE and Consumers Energy (including all publicly-reported campaign finance information and any verifiable dark money contributions).
Alongside updates to the Scorecard, Michigan LCV continues to urge lawmakers to accept our “No Utility Money Challenge,” and refuse political contributions and gifts from these monopoly utility companies so they can remain independent and standing with ratepayers.
A bi-partisan, bi-cameral group of lawmakers have signed onto the Challenge and receive special designation on their Scorecards.
The lawmakers who have accepted the Challenge to-date are: Sen. Rosemary K. Bayer (13th District), Rep. Erin Byrnes (15th District), Sen. Stephanie Chang (3rd District), Rep. Betsy Coffia (103rd District), Rep. Jennifer Conlin (48th District), Rep. Jim DeSana (29th District), Rep. Emily Dievendorf (77th District), Rep. Kimberly Edwards (12th District), Rep. Morgan Foreman (33rd District), Rep. Kristian Grant (82nd District), Rep. Kara Hope (74th District), Rep. Sharon MacDonell (56th District), Rep. Mike McFall (14th District), Rep. Donavan McKinney (11th District), Rep. Denise Mentzer (61st District), Rep. Reggie Miller (31st District), Rep. Jason Morgan (23rd District), Rep. Veronica Paiz (10th District), Rep. Natalie Price (6th District), Rep. Carrie A. Rheingans (47th District), Sen. Sue Shink (14th District), Rep. Dylan Wegela (26th District), Rep. Jimmie Wilson Jr. (32nd District), Rep. Stephanie A. Young (16th District). A growing number of candidates running for office in 2026 are taking the Challenge as well.
81% of Michigan voters support banning political donations from regulated monopolies. After hearing arguments, support jumps to 86% – across party lines, according to a recent poll.
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