Millions from Massachusetts and D.C. bankroll Michigan’s Proposal 2

Ballot Proposal 2, Mop Up Michigan, is being presented as a way to get so-called dark money out of politics.

But the campaign for Proposal 2 is being funded by the type of out-of-state interest groups proponents claim the initiative will curtail. If passed by voters, the proposal would restrict the speech of nonprofits and others who post content close to an election.

Proposal 2 would subject anyone who posts, publishes or promotes content that refers to a candidate within 100 days of an election to new reporting and financial requirements. It would define “electioneering communication” to include television broadcasts, newspapers, magazines, internet content and “any other form of general public communication.”

Prop 2 doesn’t differentiate between nonpartisan education and speech that supports a candidate or ballot question. The measure would restrict speech that promotes, supports, attacks or opposes a candidate for office.

The ballot question is being promoted and funded by special interests that include low-profile donors far beyond Michigan.

Most of the money flowing into the committee responsible for the proposal, Michiganders for Getting Money Out of Politics, comes from out-of-state groups.

The following organizations have contributed the most to funding Michiganders for Money Out of Politics, according to the State of Michigan’s campaign finance filing system:

• All Hands on Deck Network, Northampton, Massachusetts: $5.4 million
• Sixteen Thirty Fund, Washington, D.C.: $1.4 million
• Michigan United Action: $476,245.63
• Movement Voter Project, Northampton, Massachusetts: $405,000
• Tides Foundation, Los Angeles, California: $380,000
• Clean Water Action: $374,112.93
• BOOM: $206,888
• Count MI Vote: $201,070.44
• Green Advocacy Project: $200,000
• Michigan League of Conservation Voters: $176,777.84
• Voters Not Politicians: $156,597.82
• Detroit Action: $120,000

Some out-of-state special interest groups directly contribute to the committee behind the ballot proposal as well as to left-leaning organizations that fund the committee.

All Hands on Deck Network, as previously reported by Michigan Capitol Confidential, is one of the most financially influential organizations that support the ballot proposal with out-of-state money.

It appears to have donated at least $5.4 million to the committee.

CapCon previously reported that a group called Movement Voter Project includes a disclaimer on its website stating that the group’s registration and legal filings are under its official corporate name, All Hands on Deck Network. The Movement Voter Project and All Hands on Deck Network appear to be the same entity, yet the group donated to the Michiganders for Money Out of Politics Committee under two different identities.

All Hands donated $5.4 million, and the Movement Voter Project gave $405,000.

The same committee then paid the Movement Voter Project $300,000, according to state campaign expenditure filings.

The Tides Foundation gave $380,000 to the ballot committee and also contributed to the All Hands on Deck Network.

From 2020 through 2024, Tides gave $14.9 million to All Hands, according to Philanthropy.

The Sixteen Thirty Fund, according to Philanthropy, gave $1.4 million to the ballot proposal and donated $255,000 to All Hands on Deck in 2024.

Michiganders for Money Out of Politics and its funders do not seem to spend a substantial amount of money through Michigan-based organizations.

The ballot committee, according to Transparency USA, has spent $8,327,844 so far.

Of that, $3.7 million was spent on The Outreach Team based in Ithaca, New York, and $791,077.05 has been paid to Service Workers United, located in Delaware.

MMOP, the ballot committee, spent $128,542.41 on The Action Factory, based in Chicago and paid $88,802.17 in salary to Courtney Otto in Virginia.

The committee also received funds from in-state organizations.

Michigan United Action contributed $476,000 to Michiganders for Money Out of Politics, which then paid Michigan United Action $90,745.48 for staff time.

Detroit Action contributed $120,000 to Michiganders for Money Out of Politics and was paid $89,388 by the committee for a petition program.

Clean Water Action contributed $374,112.93 to the campaign and received $86,120 for a petition program.

Michiganders for Money Out of Politics did not respond to CapCon’s request for comment.