Michigan Democratic State Central Committee

07/30/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/30/2024 11:39

Michigan Democrats, Union and Democracy Leaders Sound Alarm on Mike Rogers’ Revolving Door Career

With one week until the Senate primary, elected officials and union and democracy leaders speak out against Mike Rogers' long record of enriching himself at Michiganders' expense

LANSING - Today, Congresswoman Haley Stevens, state Senator Dayna Polehanki, UAW Local 602 President Mike Huerta, and End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller spoke out against Mike Rogers' revolving door career and his long record of enriching himself at Michiganders' expense.

"Like former President Trump, Mike Rogers is not in this race for Michiganders, but instead for himself," said Congresswoman Haley Stevens. "Michigan deserves better than a senator who will not fight for our working families and is only in it to enrich himself."

"Mike Rogers has made criticizing China a centerpiece of his campaign for United States Senate. However, Rogers made himself a multi-millionaire after leaving Congress, in part, by working for big telecom companies who were still connected with a Chinese tech giant that his own Congressional Committee dubbed a national security threat," said state Senator Dayna Polehanki. "This sort of hypocrisy is why Michiganders report that they're losing faith in politicians."

"For decades, UAW Local 602 has produced quality American cars that families rely on - to go to and from work, school, vacation, and activities. We're proud of the work that we do to help families safely get from place to place," said UAW Local 602 President Mike Huerta. "When I go into work, I'm surrounded by dedicated people who are working to provide for their families. They are focused on working hard and doing their job well. As Michigan workers, we need a strong advocate on our side. We deserve a senator who will put Michigan workers first, not throw us under the bus. Rogers abandoned Michigan workers, we can't trust Mike Rogers to stand up for us."

"The corporations that bankrolled Mike Rogers' campaigns and benefitted from his votes in Congress handed him lucrative jobs when he left office," said End Citizens United President Tiffany Muller. "This corrupt arrangement made him fabulously wealthy while jeopardizing our national security and selling out Michigan families. Mike Rogers is a self-serving opportunist who can't be trusted."

Rogers has an extensive record of selling out Michiganders to enrich himself. In Congress, Rogers cozied up to big corporations, so he could walk through the revolving door afterwards and make an "explosion of wealth" "advising companies on issues he dealt with in Congress."

Rogers got rich at the expense of Michiganders, selling out national security by working for businesses tied to Chinese tech and cell phone companies, Saudi-owned cyber and tech companies, and Saudi nuclear power projects. These foreign ties helped increase Rogers' personal wealth up to twenty times.

See also: Detroit News: Mike Rogers targets China in Senate campaign, but his own connections draw criticism, Business Insider: 9 years through the revolving door: How the GOP's top Senate recruit in Michigan got rich after leaving Congress, Heartland Signal: Michigan GOP Senate candidate Mike Rogers connected to Saudi companies, including one with nuclear ambitions, Heartland Signal: Michigan Senate candidate spews anti-China rhetoric despite working to expand Chinese companies and personal wealth, American Journal News: Michigan Republican Mike Rogers has repeatedly dodged questions about his work at AT&T, American Journal News: Mike Rogers' ties to Chinese telecom giants fuel hypocrisy scandal.

Note: Contact Sam Chan at [email protected] for a recording of today's press call.

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