Durant Super PAC collects $210K from 14 donors

Lansing –A political action committee supporting Clark Durant over Pete Hoekstra in the U.S. Senate Republican primary reported Thursday raising another $210,000 from 14 individual donors and businesses.

That’s on top of $188,500 Prosperity for Michigan PAC reported raising in the second quarter in an amended campaign finance report filed Monday with the Federal Election Commission.

Hoekstra’s campaign has filed a criminal complaint with the FEC, alleging Prosperity for Michigan intentionally withheld its spring donations in a July 13 report that showed the committee was dormant. Prosperity for Michigan PAC launched a TV ad targeting Hoekstra on Monday — the same day the Durant campaign went on the air with its own ads with similar talking points.

“It strains credibility to believe that they just happened to come up with the exact same attacks in the same order at the same time without any coordination,” Hoekstra attorney Charlie Spies said Thursday in a conference call with reporters.

Former Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saul Anuzis told The Detroit News on Wednesday that he is operating Prosperity for Michigan — after initially dodging reporters’ questions about his involvement in the Durant Super PAC.

Durant, founder of Detroit’s Cornerstone Schools, is under fire this week from Hoekstra and the Michigan Democratic Party for his $475,000 annual salary paid through a charity bankrolled by $174,000 from Pulte homes builder William Pulte and $320,000 from Auburn Hills resident Bruce Becker  (Pulte donated $50,000 to the PAC supporting Durant).

Records show the newly disclosed funds were raised between July 12 and July 18 are going to finance about $400,000 in television ads attacking Hoekstra’s record in Congress.

Prosperity for Michigan is a “super” PAC allowed to take limitless contributions from businesses and wealthy contributors.

According to the report, recent donors to the pro-Durant PAC included:

• Stephen Brownell, of Grosse Pointe Farms, $10,000 ($25,000 cumulative)
• Cortran Group, Auburn Hills, $10,000
• Detmar Corp, Detroit, $5,000
• Donald Foss, chairman of Credit Acceptance in Southfield, $50,000
• Larry Hudas, of Orchard lake, $5,000
• Jerrold M. Jung, of Southfield, $25,000 ($50,000 cumulative)
• William Larkin, of Naples, Fla., $5,000
• William Pulte, Naples, Fla., $50,000
• Roush Enterprises, Livonia, $10,000
• SSB Holdings, Warren, $10,000
• Tech Aim Standards, Auburn Hills, $10,000
• Cheryl Timyan, Grand Rapids, $5,000
• George Wrigley, Grosse Pointe Farms, $5,000
• Jay Zingg, of Grosse Pointe Farms, $10,000