DETROIT — Today in Detroit, the Michigan Democratic Party held a press conference with Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Dr. Abdul El-Sayed and Michigan leaders to call out GOP Senate candidate Mike Rogers for his pattern of corruption and serving corporate special interests while in office. Watch footage from the press conference here. 

“Mike Rogers—it’s clear just based on his own record that he is among the most corrupt candidates for U.S. Senate in recent memory, and certainly in Michigan history,” said Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Dr. Abdul El-Sayed. “The real payoff wasn’t just the $5.4 million he took to run his campaigns, but the $14.6 million that became his net worth after he left his job in Congress. Trading on the relationships he built while he was a Congressman for this state. He took that money, and he moved to Florida, bought a McMansion, and one yacht wasn’t enough for the man, he bought two of them.”

“When we talk about getting money out of politics, that is what we are talking about. We are talking about ending Citizens United. We are talking about ending the revolving door by which people in public service trade on their past relationships,” El-Sayed said. 

“As corruption runs rampant in D.C., Mike Rogers is threatening to make things worse. Not only would he be a rubber stamp for Trump’s corruption, he’d continue serving corporate special interests like he’s done his entire career—and then cash their checks,” said Detroit City Councilmember Denzel McCampbell. “Here’s the choice in this race: We have Mike Rogers, a man who answers to Trump, to billionaires, and to whoever cuts him the biggest check. Or Abdul El-Sayed, who will fight to root out corruption in D.C. and who will always put our needs first in Detroit and throughout the state of Michigan.”

“Big Oil is funneling cash to Mike Rogers because they know he’ll be a loyal vote for their interests while Michiganders are stuck with higher gas prices,” said state Senator Stephanie Chang. “I’m so proud to support Abdul El-Sayed. He has never taken a corporate PAC check, and he’s running to get money out of politics. He’ll oppose Trump’s reckless wars, fight to lower costs, and will always put Michiganders first.”

“Price Hike Mike has the support of private equity, Big Pharma, oil and gas corporations, and defense contractors. His campaign will be backed by conservative, anti-worker funds—we can’t have this. And if elected, he will be tied to corporations instead of the people of Michigan,” said NNU member and Michigan Nurses Association president Aaron McCormick, RN. “Union nurses trust Abdul, and we will do everything in our power to get him to the Senate.”

Background: Mike Rogers is a corrupt multimillionaire, and he’s only out for himself

Rogers abandoned Michigan to get rich off the industries he regulated in Congress:

• Rogers abandoned Michigan more than a decade ago, spun through the “revolving door,” and saw his net worth balloon up to $14.6 million as he advised the industries he was responsible for regulating in Congress, including companies that “partnered with Chinese firms” and other shady foreign interests.

• Rogers used his “explosion of immense wealth” to buy a multimillion-dollar mansion in Florida—only to parachute back into Michigan so he could run for Senate. 

• Rogers now faces massive conflict of interest concerns stemming from his “millions in AI-related investments” as he backs the Trump administration’s plans to “speed up federal permitting for data centers” in Michigan. 

Rogers does the bidding of corporate special interests cutting him campaign checks:

• In Congress, Rogers opposed campaign finance reforms that would rein in special interests and voted against closing the “revolving door” he later used to enrich himself.

• Rogers was a “leading advocate” in Congress for boosting opioid prescriptions, opposed allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices for seniors, and repeatedly voted to hike Michiganders’ monthly healthcare premiums as his campaigns and PACs took $1 million from Big Pharma and the insurance industry.

• Rogers “consistently voted to advance oil and gas interests” that helped keep Michigan gas prices high, backed Trump’s war in Iran, and repeatedly dismissed Michiganders’ concerns about skyrocketing gas prices—all while his campaigns and super PACs have received more than $10 million from Big Oil.

Rogers is beholden to Trump and the billionaires bankrolling his campaigns:

• Rogers repeatedly supported Trump’s threat to block the Gordie Howe Bridge from opening and said it was “the right thing to do,” even though its delay would have only benefited Rogers’ major donors, the billionaire Moroun family.

• Rogers has “begged” for campaign donations by promising he would “protect” billionaires like Elon Musk and “shield” the Trump administration from potential congressional inquiries into the impact of their disastrous cuts on Michigan families.

WATCH FOOTAGE FROM THE PRESS CONFERENCE HERE

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