Further digging through new Federal Election Commission (FEC) disclosures and analytical resources available from PoliticalMoneyLine.com now suggests the backers of a proposal to build an off-reservation Indian casino in Port Huron, MI did more than bundle checks worth $18,400 for Senator Carl Levin on March 30, 2007; it appears that Michael J. Malik, Sr. and senior members of Detroit's Ilitch Family (Mike & Marian Ilitch and son Christopher Ilitch) undertook some serious fundraising for Sen. Levin that resulted in his political committee taking in nearly $100,000.00 in a single day.
Reports filed by Sen. Levin reveal Malik and the Ilitch Family likely called on a number of their contract attorneys, lobbyists, consultants, property managers, insurance companies, accountants, Port Huron business partners, food suppliers, vendors and employees' family members to write checks to Sen. Levin on March 30 -- because on that one day, Sen. Levin reports receiving 105 checks totaling $96,910.00.
Sen. Levin has been in Congress for almost 30-years; with the exception of a $500 check to Levin on March 31, 2002 -- Malik and these members of the Ilitch family appear to have no earlier record of contributions to Levin.
Although efforts to bring an Indian casino to Port Huron have been floated for nearly a decade, Levin has kept an arms distance from that matter and publicly has remained neutral. U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) has been an active champion of the proposal since 2002 and Malik/Ilitch Family directed $117,000.00 to her re-election efforts.
However, after the November elections, it was reported that Sen. Stabenow (she is ranked only #32nd most powerful Democrat in the Senate) informed Malik & company they would need to win favor with Sen. Levin (#7th most powerful Democrat) if they wanted to make any progress toward congressional approvals of their Port Huron scheme in the 110th Congress.
Senator Carl Levin's 3/30/07 Donor List
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