Duggan Putting City Up For Sale to Fund Dark Money Group

LANSING - A new report from the Detroit News uncovers never-before-reported filings on Mike Duggan’s dark money group Put Progress First, including its board member Peter Scher, vice chairman of the country’s largest bank, JPMorgan Chase & Co, who has significant business interests before the City of Detroit.  

The newly-reported information on Duggan’s dark money group comes after a Detroit Metro Times analysis of Duggan’s latest finance report found that a “sizable share comes from donors of President Donald Trump, GOP party leaders, and conservative power brokers with vested interests in state policy.” 

Duggan didn’t directly answer questions from the News on the conflict of those with significant business interests before the city also serving on the board of his dark-money group, with his campaign just saying in a written statement that Duggan is “appreciative” of Put Progress First. 

The dark-money group, which hasn’t disclosed its donors, is also managed by a long-time Duggan associate who until just recently served as the director of marketing and outreach for Duggan’s taxpayer-funded Workforce Development Board, which works closely with the city’s business interests.

“Last week, it was revealed that Mike Duggan’s campaign is funded by Trump loyalists and Republican megadonors. Now, new reporting shows his dark money group is backed by special interests that do business with the City of Detroit,” said Michigan Democratic Party spokesperson Derrick Honeyman. “Everyday it becomes more clear that Mike Duggan cannot be trusted as the real intentions of his self-serving campaign continue to come to light.”