Craig Mauger's Avatar

Craig Mauger

@craigmauger.bsky.social

A reporter who covers Michigan politics and government for The Detroit News. www.detroitnews.com

2,151 Followers  |  199 Following  |  82 Posts  |  Joined: 11.11.2024  |  1.7394

Latest posts by craigmauger.bsky.social on Bluesky

GOP lawmakers ask U.S. Department of Justice to oversee Michigan's 2026 elections The unusual request for federal supervision came ahead of what will be a pivotal election in the battleground state next year.

A group of 22 Michigan Republican lawmakers asked President Donald Trump's U.S. Department of Justice to deploy monitors to vote-counting facilities and to provide general oversight for the state's upcoming elections in 2026. www.detroitnews.com/story/news/p...

15.11.2025 15:47 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 3
Matt DePerno fights release of text messages in 2020 Michigan election tabulator case Text messages, involving the push to explore 2020 voter fraud theories in Michigan, are now center stage in the court case against Matt DePerno.

Matt DePerno, former Michigan attorney general nominee, is fighting the release of text messages that prosecutors say are important evidence in the criminal case against DePerno: www.detroitnews.com/story/news/p...

10.10.2025 16:43 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 1
Preview
Prosecutors begin laying out evidence in high-profile tabulator cases β€œWe determined that they had been tampered with so we would not allow them to go back into service," an executive with a voting company testified.

β€œWe determined that they had been tampered with so we would not allow them to go back into service," an executive with a voting company testified.

09.10.2025 20:26 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Prosecutors begin laying out evidence in high-profile tabulator cases β€œWe determined that they had been tampered with so we would not allow them to go back into service," an executive with a voting company testified.

Prosecutors begin laying out evidence in high-profile tabulator tampering cases against former Attorney General candidate Matt DePerno and ex-Rep. Daire Rendon

New reporting from @craigmauger.bsky.social in Royal Oak:

www.detroitnews.com/story/news/p...

09.10.2025 20:41 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

In Royal Oak this morning for the preliminary exams of Matt DePerno and Daire Rendon.

These exams focus on charges DePerno, former AG nominee, and Rendon, former state rep, were involved in a scheme to improperly access voting machines after the 2020 election.

09.10.2025 14:02 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Whitmer chief of staff privately apologized over $20M Beydoun grant, records reveal Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is calling on Attorney General Dana Nessel to sue her past campaign donor, Fay Beydoun, to recoup $8.2 million in grant funds.

Hat tip (again) to Beth LeBlanc and @craigmauger.bsky.social with @detroitnews.com for unraveling every last thread in this story. Just outstanding.

09.10.2025 12:58 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
JPMorgan executive helping lead nonprofit backing Duggan's governor bid It's unclear how much Put Progress First has spent promoting Mayor Mike Duggan, but the group has bankrolled billboards and paid for social media ads.

NEW: JPMorgan executive helping lead nonprofit backing ⁦β€ͺDetroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s‬⁩ governor bid

www.detroitnews.com/story/news/p...

via @craigmauger.bsky.social

30.07.2025 11:47 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Semiconductor manufacturing project near Flint, sought by Gov. Whitmer, falls through A semiconductor manufacturing project that state officials hoped would bring thousands of jobs to Genesee County is now off the table.

Major news for Michigan this morning:

Semiconductor manufacturing project near Flint, sought by Gov. Whitmer, falls through

Michigan Democrats are blaming President Trump www.detroitnews.com/story/news/p...

16.07.2025 17:38 β€” πŸ‘ 14    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proposed $15M for grant program championed by donor Fay Beydoun The origins of a lucrative taxpayer grant for a Metro Detroit businesswoman trace back to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's administration, state records show.

An email, obtained by The Detroit News, shows that Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer included a $15 million grant program in her budget proposal for 2023 that was sought by one of her donors. www.detroitnews.com/story/news/p...

09.07.2025 13:15 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Michigan campaign will seek to ban political giving by utilities, state contractors The effort could test the Michigan public's desire to rein in energy and health care companies that have become major forces in state politics.

NEWS: A coalition of groups in Michigan, where lawmakers have resisted ethics reforms, will seek a ballot proposal in 2026 to ban political giving by the state’s dominant utilities and major contractors. www.detroitnews.com/story/news/p...

30.06.2025 12:26 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Michigan Senate approves bill to give government boards more chances to meet in secret One open government advocate said the measure would allow government panels the chance to "shut the doors on almost any controversial issue."

The Michigan Senate approved a bill Wednesday that would balloon the ability of government boards and commission to meet in secret. www.detroitnews.com/story/news/p...

25.06.2025 21:39 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Michigan lawmakers' personal disclosures often leave out key details Multiple Michigan lawmakers reported getting tickets to events but didn't say what the events were or how much they were worth, a News review found.

Michigan lawmakers' personal financial disclosures lacking in details:

- Only 29% went beyond the minimum requirements in listing lobbyist gifts;
- 2 of the 3 lawmakers who reported free tickets didn't detail what they were;
- Many discrepancies. www.detroitnews.com/story/news/p...

25.06.2025 01:06 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 2

Thanks.

06.06.2025 20:47 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
'No one will know': Records reveal secret money flowing through Lansing Court records show how money from wealthy executives secretly flowed to a fundraising account for Michigan Senate Republicans in 2020.

'No one will know': Court records reveal secret money flowing through Lansing www.detroitnews.com/story/news/p...

06.06.2025 13:36 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
Preview
State Board of Education calls for smaller class sizes after Detroit News investigation The proposal, if enacted by state lawmakers, would represent a sea change for Michigan schools as leaders look to boost struggling literacy rates.

Michigan's State Board of Education is calling for mandatory limits on class sizes to be implemented by the 2030-31 school year.

The resolution comes after an investigation by The @detroitnews.bsky.social that published in April. www.detroitnews.com/story/news/p...

14.05.2025 18:09 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

Opened my messages.

14.05.2025 14:43 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Lawyer for Trump false elector running to be Michigan's attorney general β€œMichigan deserves an attorney general who roots out corruption, prosecutes crime and makes sure every legal vote counts,” Kevin Kijewski said.

Kevin Kijewski, a defense lawyer for one of the 15 Michigan Republicans facing criminal charges for signing a certificate falsely claiming President Donald Trump won the 2020 election, has announced he'll seek the GOP's nomination for attorney general. www.detroitnews.com/story/news/p...

28.04.2025 14:55 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Michigan lawmakers push competing plans for regulating cellphones in schools The disagreement could be a test of whether Republicans, who control the House, and Democrats, who lead the Senate, can reach a compromise.

Michigan lawmakers are considering competing bills for how to combat cellphone use at school.

One bill would broadly prohibit phones on school grounds for elementary grades.

Another bill would allow individual districts to decide. www.detroitnews.com/story/news/p...

22.04.2025 22:27 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
China-linked company donates $1M to Trump inauguration after GOP criticism Donald Trump blasted Gotion's Mecosta County battery plant five months before his inaugural committee accepted money from the Chinese-linked firm.

NEWS: Top Michigan Republicans spent much of the fall criticizing Democrats for ties to the China-linked company Gotion.

On Sunday, President Donald Trump's inaugural committee revealed it accepted $1 million from Gotion.

Story with @grantschwab.bsky.social: www.detroitnews.com/story/news/p...
.

21.04.2025 23:52 β€” πŸ‘ 61    πŸ” 29    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Michigan school districts pack kids into classrooms as reading scores falter The sizes of elementary school classes that have been allowed in Michigan conflict with what top policymakers say is best for learning.

Thousands of elementary school students in Michigan β€” some as young as 5 years old β€” are learning to read and count in classrooms filled with 30 or more children, according to a trove of records obtained by The Detroit News. www.detroitnews.com/story/news/l...

15.04.2025 10:27 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 2
Preview
Rogers kicks off second campaign for U.S. Senate seat in Michigan Republican Mike Rogers, a former seven-term congressman from Livingston County, narrowly lost the 2024 Senate race to Democrat Elissa Slotkin.

Republican former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers is launching his second campaign for the U.S. Senate in Michigan today: www.detroitnews.com/story/news/p...

14.04.2025 11:19 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Michigan review finds 15 probable non-U.S. citizens who voted in November The findings could add fuel to an intensifying debate taking place inside the Michigan Capitol and nationally about voter identification.

A months-long review by the Secretary of State's office has identified 15 individuals who allegedly are not U.S. citizens but still cast ballots in the November presidential election in Michigan. www.detroitnews.com/story/news/p...

03.04.2025 19:54 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 2
Preview
Michigan Democrats vow to focus on 'results' in bid to bounce back from 2024 losses Eleven prominent Michigan Democrats weigh in on the future of their party after losing the 2024 presidential race.

Michigan Democrats are trying to recover from their loss to Donald Trump, facing a leadership overhaul and preparing for an election with everything up for grabs at the state level.

I asked 11 top Michigan Dems about the path forward for their party: www.detroitnews.com/story/news/p...

01.04.2025 11:29 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 1
Preview
Michigan had largest unemployment jump in nation as growth slows Michigan has experienced the largest increase in its unemployment rate of the 50 states over the last year, according to federal data released Friday.

No state’s unemployment rate has grown more over the last year than Michigan’s, according to federal data released Friday. www.detroitnews.com/story/news/p...

29.03.2025 17:47 β€” πŸ‘ 13    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 3
Preview
Insider: Why ex-Michigan Senate GOP leader inspired chapter title in McMorrow's book Mike Shirkey was "furious" that Mallory McMorrow went public with a sexual harassment complaint against a fellow senator in 2020.

In state Sen. Mallory McMorrow’s new book, she writes that then-Michigan Senate Leader Mike Shirkey was β€œfurious” she went public with a sexual harassment complaint against then-Sen. Pete Lucido. www.detroitnews.com/story/news/p...

24.03.2025 15:58 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Michigan Senate approves resolution in support of diversity, equity and inclusion "It's a statement of our values," Sen. Stephanie Chang told reporters after the vote on Tuesday.

The Democratic-controlled Michigan Senate approved on Tuesday a resolution in support of policies that promote diversity, equity and inclusion as Republican President Donald Trump attempts to end DEI programs within the federal government. www.detroitnews.com/story/news/p...

18.03.2025 20:14 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

A Michigan lawmaker who’s leading the charge for a constitutional amendment to combat voter fraud has faced questions over whether he’s living in the House district he represents: www.detroitnews.com/story/news/p...

18.03.2025 13:31 β€” πŸ‘ 12    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist looks to defy Michigan history in bid for governor Three former Michigan lieutenant governors said it's possible for Michigan's No. 2 official to win a race for governor, but the path is hazardous.

Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist is running for governor.

"An engineer and a problem solver is what this moment calls for, especially when we have a chaos and calamity problem-creation factory coming out of Washington," he said in an interview. www.detroitnews.com/story/news/p...

11.03.2025 15:55 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Misconduct hearing set for lawyers who attempted to overturn 2020 Michigan election The upcoming hearing, which will likely focus on conspiracy theories about fraud in the 2020 election, has been years in the making.

A group of seven lawyers who were involved in an unsuccessful lawsuit to overturn Michigan's 2020 presidential election will face a May 7 misconduct hearing in Detroit. www.detroitnews.com/story/news/p...

05.03.2025 22:56 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Trump wants to ax law Michigan leaders hoped would generate thousands of jobs near Flint Michigan Democrats expressed frustration and surprise Wednesday in response to the Republican president's remarks about the CHIPS and Science Act.

Michigan Dems have hoped the CHIPS Act will lead to a major semiconductor project near Flint.

"If a deal doesn’t materialize or the office is disbanded, Genesee County will never get another chance like this," state Rep. Jasper Martus said. www.detroitnews.com/story/news/p...

05.03.2025 17:51 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

@craigmauger is following 20 prominent accounts