It’s no secret that part-time governor, travel blogger, and social media influencer Gretchen “Globetrotter” Whitmer is a frequent flier to Asia, the Middle East, Australia, Spain, the UK and Ireland, under the guise of “bringing good paying jobs” back to Michigan, which have yet to produce many real jobs.
Through the Freedom of Information Act request, Michigan Enjoyer obtained a total for travel expenses paid through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) since the beginning of the year.
The 94-page receipt includes vague descriptions of meals, airline tickets, hotel stays, parking, transportation, fees, mileage, and leaves much to the imagination. The expenses total over $900,000. Here are some of the highlights:
- $37,003.19 at the Shelbourne Hotel in Ireland
- $20,457.30 in rooms at the Lilac Tree Hotel on Mackinac Island, just steps away from the Governor’s Mansion
- $16,860.77 in transportation costs in Australia
- $17,640.00 in transportation costs in Ireland
- $4,618.21 for one undisclosed “business dinner” in Dubai
- $4,962 for a “car rental” supposedly related to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas
MEDC has come under heat for waste, fraud, and abuse, and its executives had to testify last week before the Michigan House Oversight Committee.
When specifically asked about travel, Michelle Grinnell, MEDC’s chief communications officer, said they rely on the nonprofit Michigan Economic Development Foundation (MEDF) to help offset the costs. The problem with that? MEDF is funded by the MEDC.
A separate Freedom of Information Act Request showed that the MEDC transferred $881,604.51 to the MEDF in 2024 and last week, MEDF quietly filed their annual IRS 990 form.
The foundation reported spending $757,753 in 2024. While it is not clear exactly where the money was spent, it is clear the foundation is ultimately funded with taxpayer money. Because the money is transferred from the MEDC into the MEDF, the records are not subject to FOIA requests.
A brief description on the MEDF website says:
“The MEDF is a 501(c)(3) organization that supports economic development efforts in the state of Michigan, including those of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). The MEDF operates from corporate and non-profit contributions and supports efforts that include investment missions, hosting foreign delegations and hospitality opportunities. This strategic support plays a critical role as state officials make a case for Michigan’s pro-business environment and investment opportunities.”
Not only is the practice of funding vacations disguised as “trade missions” an extreme waste of Michigander’s money, but two of the board members on MEDF also serve on the MEDC and have traveled with Club Whitmer, creating concerns over conflicts of interest.
According to their website, MEDF was involved in funding trade missions to the U.K., the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Taiwan, and South Korea this year.
While some of the expenses for these trips were included with our FOIA response from MEDC, many were funded through the MEDF, so we will never know for sure what great restaurants, hotels, and other cultural experiences Club Whitmer enjoyed at our expense.
Michigan has the third-worst unemployment rate in America. Surely there are better ways to spend our money than funding vacations for Whitmer and her sidekicks. At the very least, MEDC and MEDF can tell us about what they’ve been funding rather than hiding.
Anna Hoffman is a hockey mom of three living in Ann Arbor. Follow her on X @shoesonplease.
