St. Joe-Benton Harbor News

Brad Paquette for State Representative spent the most out of all the political committees based in cities associated with Berrien County during April, 2021, according to the Michigan Department of State.

The committee paid $3,070 to two vendors.

The largest expense was $3,000 paid to HRCC based in Berrien Springs for donation.

The second largest political spend from a committee operating in a city within Berrien County during the month came from Committee to Elect Pauline Wendzel. It spent $1,620 during that period on three different vendors.

What’s known as “dark money,” which comes from political non-profits and shell corporations, has greatly increased expenditures and donations in recent elections to record-breaking highs.

During the 2020 elections, candidates spent roughly $41 million. This is in sharp contrast to the previous federal election cycle, when Michigan candidates spent nearly $150 million.

Political campaign financial data is often updated, leading to a sometimes incomplete picture of a committee or candidate's finances.

Committee	Expenditures	Paid Vendors
Brad Paquette for State Representative	$3,070	2
Committee to Elect Pauline Wendzel	$1,620	3
Forward Together PAC	$526	4
Paquette Leadership Fund	$307	2