A Michigan watchdog group filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service on Wednesday, alleging that a nonprofit organization’s funding of Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s private trip to Florida violated federal tax law.
Whitmer’s March trip was “not within the exempt purpose of Michigan Transition 2019,” the organization that paid for the governor’s chartered plane, and the payment was a “private benefit” to Whitmer, said Michigan Rising Action in its complaint.
Whitmer traveled on the private plane to Florida on March 12 to visit her ill father, returning to Michigan on March 15. Michigan Transition 2019, an organization that was formed in late 2018 and helped fund Whitmer’s inauguration, chartered the plane.
The governor’s chief of staff, JoAnne Huls, announced Michigan Transition 2019’s funding of the trip in an email memo on May 14.
The organization spent $27,521 on travel through May 14, which included payment for the March flights, according to the voluntary disclosure.
Whitmer paid Michigan Transition 2019 $855 toward the trip, Michigan Information & Research Service News reported.
“Due to ongoing security and public health concerns, we made a decision to use a chartered flight for this trip,” Huls said in the memo. “The governor’s flight was not a gift, not paid for at taxpayer expense, and was done in compliance with the law.”
NONPROFIT GROUP BANKROLLED LARGE PORTION OF MICHIGAN GOVERNOR’S USE OF PRIVATE PLANE
“Governor Whitmer’s use of 501(c)(4) funds for personal benefit is a clear violation of the law and we’ve asked the IRS to launch a full investigation into the matter,” said Eric Ventimiglia, executive director of Michigan Rising Action, in a press release. “From her blatant hypocrisy to the litany of ethical and legal violations, Governor Whitmer has spent the last two months misleading the people of Michigan about her trip to Florida. It’s time for her to be held accountable.”
Republican state Rep. Steve Johnson, who is chairman of the Michigan House Oversight Committee, told the Washington Examiner on Monday his committee will be sending a letter to Whitmer about her trip and will consider holding a hearing “based off the response we receive.”
“The people of Michigan deserve answers on what the governor is trying to hide and why,” Johnson said.
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The Washington Examiner reached out to Michigan Transition 2019 and to Whitmer’s office for comment on the complaint but did not immediately receive a response.
