St. Joe-Benton Harbor News

Forward Together PAC spent the most out of all the political committees based in cities associated with Berrien County during May, 2021, according to the Michigan Department of State.

The committee paid $2,830 to five vendors.

The largest expense was $900 paid to Emily Boyer based in Benton Harbor for salary.

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 $216 during that period on one vendor.

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
Forward Together PAC	$2,830	5
Committee to Elect Pauline Wendzel	$216	1
Committee to Elect Dan Vanden Heede	$159	1
Brad Paquette for State Representative	$102	2
Paquette Leadership Fund	$72	1