Michigan GOP report shows healthier finances, return of DeVos money

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LANSING — The rift between the DeVos family and the Michigan Republican Party has healed, according to newly filed federal campaign finance documents.

Records show that Betsy DeVos and six other DeVos family members each donated $10,000 to the state party in June, for a total of $70,000.

The billionaire family from West Michigan, which made its fortune through Amway Corp. and other ventures, has long been a source of revenue for the state party. But the money flow was cut off for more than a year when the party was chaired by Kristina Karamo, an outspoken critic of the family and its influence in the state party. The family continued to support state legislature elections and other GOP causes.

“There has never been a rift between my team and the DeVos family,” party chairman Pete Hoekstra, who was chosen in January to replace Karamo, told the Free Press in a text message Monday. “We’ve been friends for years. As for the previous leadership, they should address that.”

Karamo did not respond to a text message seeking comment.

A report the Michigan Republican Party filed with the Federal Election Commission on July 14 shows a healthier financial picture for the state party, with cash on hand in its federal account improving to about $583,000 as of June 30, up from about $318,000 on April 1, despite spending about $1.1 million during that period. The state party still listed debts of about $185,000.

The report also shows how crucial Republicans across the country consider electoral success in Michigan to be. The lion’s share of the revenue, nearly $1.4 million, came from outside the state during the reporting period.

Major donors from Michigan included: Betsy DeVos, a former state party chairwoman who served as Education Secretary under President Donald Trump, who listed her occupation as a “philanthropist”; Richard M. “Dick” DeVos, the wife of Betsy DeVos and a former Republican candidate for governor of Michigan; Amway President Douglas DeVos, who, like Richard M. DeVos, is a son of founder Rich DeVos; Maria DeVos, the wife of Douglas DeVos; DP Fox Ventures, LLC CEO Daniel G. DeVos, another son of the co-founder and a former Amway executive; Pamella DeVos, the wife of Daniel G. DeVos; and Suzanne “Cheri” DeVos, a daughter of the co-founder who listed her occupation as a homemaker. Each gave $10,000 on June 5.

Also giving $10,000 each were David Lee Van Andel, chairman and CEO of the Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids, and Carol Van Andel, a member of the institute’s board of directors and David Van Andel’s wife. David Van Andel is a son of the late Jay Van Andel, who co-founded Amway with the late Rich DeVos.

Other $10,000 donors from Michigan included Bob Mannes of Traverse City, the president of Core Energy, LLC, and Bloomfield Hills investor Joel Dorfman.

No individual donated more than $10,000 to the state party during the reporting period, but the party received significantly larger donations from national GOP organizations.

These donations include more than $808,000 from the Republican National Committee and more than $220,000 in donations from the Trump 47 Committee, a joint fundraising committee affiliated with the Trump campaign.

Donations of $10,000 each reported as being transferred to the Michigan Republican Party by the Trump 47 Committee included those from Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, and Kushner’s father Charles Kushner, the founder of Kushner Companies in New York City. Other $10,000 donations transferred to the state party included those from Miriam Adelson, a philanthropist who is the widow of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson; James Liautaud, of the Jimmy John’s sandwich franchise; billionaire Home Depot co-founder Bernard Marcus; and Wisconsin billionaire film producer Diane Hendricks.

The state party also received about $115,000 this year from the National Republican Senatorial Committee Targeted Victory Fund, records show. But that income is largely offset by a $109,000 contribution to that fund from the state party.

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or [email protected]. Follow him on X, @paulegan4.

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