“The potential for conflicts of interest is heightened by Scher’s corporate role and Duggan’s ongoing authority over city policy.”
LANSING — Mike Duggan is facing serious questions over the support he’s receiving from Peter Scher, the vice chairman of the country’s largest bank, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and the “potential for conflicts of interest is heightened by Scher’s corporate role and Duggan’s ongoing authority over city policy.”
Scher is serving on the board of directors for Duggan’s dark money group Put Progress First, despite Scher and his bank having significant business interests before the City of Detroit.
According to a new report from WJR, “the bank’s vice chair, now helping fund Duggan’s campaign through a dark money nonprofit, introduces several concerns.” Duggan previously didn’t directly answer questions from the Detroit News on the potential conflicts of interest that arise from Scher’s role on the board of his dark-money group, with his campaign just saying in a written statement that Duggan is “appreciative” of Put Progress First. The Detroit News first reported on Scher’s role on the board of Duggan’s Put Progress First.
The conflict of interest questions on Duggan’s dark money group comes after a Detroit Metro Times analysis of Duggan’s latest finance report found that a “sizable share comes from donors of President Donald Trump, GOP party leaders, and conservative power brokers with vested interests in state policy.”
“Mike Duggan needs to answer tough questions on his connections with Peter Scher and any promises or city favors that he’s made to major corporations in exchange for political support,” said Michigan Democratic Party spokesperson Derrick Honeyman. “Every day it becomes more clear that Mike Duggan cannot be trusted to put Michiganders first.”
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