Following the Money In Michigan Politics (rescheduled from February)

Michigan elections are becoming increasingly expensive, and the upcoming 2018 election in Michigan could be one of the priciest in state history. The presentation will detail how the role of money in Michigan politics has changed over the last decade. The cost of campaigns is going up while the source of the money is becoming harder to track. At the same time, the number of people lobbying state government is increasing while the number of journalists and watchdogs is decreasing.

 Craig Mauger, director of The Michigan Campaign Finance Network, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that seeks to shine the brightest light possible on the role of money in Michigan politics, will provide information people can use — how does campaign finance work in Michigan; what is dark money; how can a person identify dark money-funded campaign mailers and advertisements; and how can a person find out who’s funding a TV ad?