Documents reveal that DTE Energy, a prominent utility company in Michigan, played a significant role in undermining Covid lockdown policies in 2020. The corporation’s corporate and government affairs chief of staff, Pam Headley, facilitated a substantial $100,000 donation from Michigan Energy First (MEF) to Michigan Citizens for a Representative Government (MCFR). This contribution was said to be used to further initiatives that specifically fought against Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s emergency orders throughout the pandemic.
The emails have surfaced in a criminal investigation into alleged campaign finance violations related to the Unlock Michigan campaign. They detail how Headley conducted the business of securing the donation through her DTE email account, on DTE’s time. One email stated, “I think I’m getting the $100,000 tomorrow from DTE,” while another confirmed, “Unlock Michigan update: $100,000 DTE check arrived today.”
DTE Energy has insisted that it has not financially supported the campaign to repeal Governor Whitmer’s emergency powers. In 2022, Peter Ternes, a spokesperson for DTE, stated, “DTE unequivocally is not financially supporting” such efforts. He repeated this falsehood in 2020 when pressed on the corporation’s role. In an email sent on Wednesday, DTE spokesperson Jill Wilmot acknowledged that the utility had indeed contributed funds to MEF.
The timing and nature of all these communications calls into question the appropriateness of DTE’s political spending and activities at the very least. Karlee Weinmann, an advocate for transparency in campaign financing, discussed the ramifications of these new disclosures.
“The emails raise questions about the appropriateness of DTE’s political spending and activity.” – Karlee Weinmann
At the time of the donation, MEF’s board president was Renze Hoeksema, past lobbyist for DTE Energy. This mutual interdependence has raised an increased public alarm regarding the relationship between DTE and MEF and their shared impact on state-level policies.
DTE Energy’s actions came in the context of growing backlash against Covid restrictions in the state of Michigan. The state’s bite-down, raise-a-wall lockdown measures really squelched the virus’s spread in the beginning. Yet before being implemented, they encountered overwhelming backlash from conservative organizations. These protests culminated in armed demonstrators storming the state legislature in mid-2020, reflecting deep societal divisions over public health mandates.
As an unintended consequence, this action led many communities to end most utility shut-off—DTE is the largest utility in Michigan—for customers in financial distress. DTE Energy cast itself as an ally to Governor Whitmer’s administration during the pandemic, with Ternes quoting Ternes said,
“DTE has worked hand-in-hand with the governor to protect our customers, employees and the public throughout the coronavirus pandemic. The actions taken by the state have slowed Covid transmission and death rates.” – Peter Ternes
In spite of these statements, according to advocates, DTE’s political donations undermine its public health support with a marked influence against them. Tell Eli Day @elidday, political analyst. In many cases, big corporations are affecting public policy decisions by exerting their considerable influence.
“They have power and wield influence over parts of people’s lives that they don’t want DTE to have influence over.” – Eli Day
The Unlock Michigan campaign sought to repeal Governor Whitmer’s emergency powers that allowed her to enact lockdowns aimed at curbing the pandemic’s impact. The campaign was backed by significant funding from abortion rights organizations and other coalitions opposed to the bans. The records showing DTE’s large financial support only further complicate the already charged political battleground.
DTE Energy’s donations to MEF and MCFR raise new issues. These concerns have been largely aimed at the transparency and accountability of those corporations that engage in political advocacy. Proponents of ethical government believe that everyday people deserve to know the extent to which corporate dollars are swaying political decisions.
“Ordinary people who are outraged can have a real impact and change their lives for the better, and DTE is terrified of that.” – [Unnamed source]