Staff Reports
A fresh investigative report says the same compliance man who handles paperwork for Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El‑Sayed is also listed as treasurer on a super PAC that funneled money into a second PAC running texts to boost Libertarian Lydia Christensen and bash Republican Mike Rogers. If true, voters deserve a straight answer about who is really pulling the strings in the Michigan Senate race.
What the investigation found
Reporters traced a money path that raises eyebrows. Howie Stanger, who provides compliance work for the El‑Sayed campaign through Pocketbook Strategies, is listed in filings as treasurer for Building America. Building America then sent six figures to a group called Principled Patriots, which pushed text messages to conservative voters promoting Lydia Christensen as the “true conservative” and attacking Mike Rogers as part of “the swamp.” The chain includes a large transfer from a left‑aligned group called Rapid Resist Action into Building America, then the Building America → Principled Patriots payment. Principled Patriots says Building America doesn’t control its decisions. Christensen says she had not heard of the PAC until a supporter flagged it and called the effort “disgusted beyond measure.”
Why this matters in the Michigan Senate race
This isn’t just insider bookkeeping. Michigan was decided by thin margins last cycle, and third‑party candidates can swing outcomes. A Libertarian siphoning votes from conservatives helped decide races before. If Democrats are quietly funding a third‑party push while their candidate rails against “dark money,” it would be two things: hypocritical and politically cynical. Voters need to know whether Abdul El‑Sayed’s pledge to refuse outside money is real or just a talking point when convenient.
Money trail, shared personnel, and the legal gray area
The documents reporters cited — public FEC filings — show payments and shared names. The facts on the public record deserve scrutiny. But a paper trail is not the same as proof of illegal coordination. Helpful questions remain: who authorized the texts, who drafted the content, and what communications tie these groups together beyond shared vendors and a treasurer name. That is why watchdogs and reporters want the underlying FEC schedules, invoices, and sworn answers. Until then, voters are left to wonder whether this is clever political theater or something closer to the old “pull‑a‑rabbit‑out‑of‑a‑hat” playbook.
Bottom line: voters deserve answers
The Michigan Senate race is too important for smoke and mirrors. If this is an honest, arms‑length set of independent actors, show the receipts and tell the public. If not, admit it and stop pretending purity about outside money while benefiting from the same tactics. Michigan voters should demand transparency from Abdul El‑Sayed, Howie Stanger and the PACs named — and conservative voters should treat unsolicited texts that praise a “true conservative” with the healthy dose of skepticism they deserve. After all, in politics, if something smells like a setup, it usually is one — and the voters get the bill.
