Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office conducted a search warrant at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) headquarters in Lansing. This action is part of an ongoing investigation into two grants managed by the MEDC, including $2 million for a proposed rocket-launching site and $20 million for a business incubator. The MEDC, responsible for distributing taxpayer-funded grants, criticized the move as “unwarranted and unnecessary,” especially since its director was abroad on a trade mission with Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
The investigation also involves Global Link International, a nonprofit led by Fay Beydoun, which received a significant grant. Reports indicate questionable expenditures, including luxury air travel and high salaries. Despite the criticism, the MEDC has been cooperating with the probe for over two years. The scrutiny of the MEDC highlights concerns over the allocation of billions in state funds to various projects with minimal oversight.
Nessel’s office has previously addressed issues in the grant process, including charging a former legislative aide with embezzlement related to a $10 million grant. Michigan lawmakers have faced criticism for approving earmarks with little review.
— new from Bridge Michigan