LANSING, Mich. — Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt on Tuesday blasted what he described as blatant corruption inside the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, following reports that a major donor to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer received a lucrative state lease deal despite nearby state-owned buildings sitting vacant.
“This is not an isolated incident. It’s a symptom of a much larger problem,” said Nesbitt, R-Porter Township. “The system is rigged to serve the governor’s friends at the expense of hardworking taxpayers, and it has to end.”
According to the Detroit Free Press, Lakeshore Global Michigan Rehabilitation — a company owned by one of Whitmer’s campaign donors — signed a lease deal for the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity to relocate 14 employees. Earlier this month, The Detroit News reported that the governor’s office allegedly coordinated with the MEDC to secure a $20 million grant for another campaign donor.
“The MEDC has become a hub for waste and favoritism,” Nesbitt said. “This latest scandal is just the tip of the iceberg. How many more backroom deals are waiting to be uncovered?”
Nesbitt said these incidents reveal a troubling pattern of mismanagement and a lack of accountability under Whitmer’s leadership. He renewed his call to create the Michigan Department of Government Efficiency, or MI DOGE, to provide independent oversight.
“Michigan families deserve a government that prioritizes their needs — not one that rewards insiders and political donors,” Nesbitt said. “We need MI DOGE to stop this cycle of waste, fraud and abuse.”
MI DOGE would operate as an independent entity tasked with auditing state agencies, investigating misconduct and improving transparency in government operations. Nesbitt has championed the initiative as a way to restore public trust and protect taxpayers.
“We can’t keep turning a blind eye to these scandals,” Nesbitt said. “MI DOGE is a chance to clean up Lansing, hold those in power accountable and build a government that works for the people.”
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