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Some candidates in the Detroit school board race reported spending campaign contributions on out-of-state travel, clothing alterations, and personal meals, recently filed reports show.
One candidate for the Detroit Public Schools Community District’s board — Shinese Johnson — originally filed expenses for a nail appointment, meals in Florida and South Carolina, as well as cash withdrawals over the limit allowed by Michigan campaign finance law. When asked about the expenses by Chalkbeat, Johnson revised her campaign statement to no longer include them.
Mark Brewer, an attorney at Michigan firm Goodman Acker, said several expenditures reported by DPSCD board candidates are “questionable.” Brewer did not personally review the documents. His comments are based on what was read to him by a Chalkbeat reporter.
Brewer, who advises candidate clients on campaign spending, said the purpose of the state’s laws is to safeguard against misuse of dollars entrusted to them by supporters.
“They want the money to be used to run an election, not to finance candidates’ personal lives,” said Brewer.
Michigan candidates are not allowed to spend contributions on personal expenses unrelated to campaigning or office-holding or withdraw money for personal use.
The Michigan Department of State has said in response to previous campaign finance complaints that if an expense would occur regardless of whether the candidate is running for office, it is prohibited.
Consequences for violations of state campaign finance laws are civil fines, said Brewer.
DPSCD board candidates also reported more traditional expenses, including campaign events, canvassers at early voting locations, photography services, mailers, polling, texting, fliers, and yard signs.
There will be 34 names on the ballot for the DPSCD board in the Nov. 3 election. Four of the open seats will be for full four-year terms, with 31 candidates in the running. Another three candidates are running for a partial two-year term.
The election will be consequential for the district, as a new board majority will be elected. Many candidates are calling for changes in leadership, which could shift DPSCD’s strategies significantly.
Candidates were required to report all contributions and expenditures made through Oct. 18 by 5 p.m. Oct. 23. The final statements will be due after Election Day.
Twenty-two of the candidates were granted reporting waivers because their contributions totaled less than $1,000. Eleven candidates reported raising a cumulative $108,360, according to the reports.
One candidate — Christopher “Allen” Hubbard — was not granted a waiver. His statement was not yet publicly available by Wednesday. Hubbard told Chalkbeat he raised nearly $4,000 and is working to file his reports.
Some contributions were spent on meals, clothing
Johnson, the primary substance abuse use prevention services director at The Youth Connection, filed a report on Monday that listed $1,227 in campaign expenditures. After Chalkbeat asked Johnson about some of the expenses, she filed a revised report with several changes and listed $1,106 in spending.
Removed from the report was an expenditure of $40 at a Southfield salon Johnson told Chalkbeat was used to get her nails done. She said on Monday the expense was intended to help her appear professional at a campaign event.
Also removed was $46 reportedly spent on “volunteer meals” on Aug. 13 at a Myrtle Beach, South Carolina restaurant. Another $34 was reported as a candidate meal on July 14 in Kissimmee, Florida.
Johnson told Chalkbeat on Monday she attended work conferences in those locations and paid for meals during off-work hours when she performed campaign tasks.
The reported volunteer meal, Johnson said, was for someone at the conference who helped with her campaign.
In the revised campaign statement, Johnson reported spending more than $54 in other personal meals. She reported using more than $411 on volunteer and meeting meals, the filing shows, at grocery stores, a brewery, restaurants, as well as on Instacart.
Johnson told Chalkbeat she paid for volunteer meals as an incentive for their time.
In Johnson’s original report, there were two ATM cash withdrawals from campaign funds as “administrative expenses.” She said one for $104 on July 30 was used to pay for food at a campaign event and another for $84 on Aug. 3 paid for T-shirts.
According to state law, payments of $50.01 or more can’t be made in cash.
The revised report changed the $104 from a cash withdrawal to a direct purchase from a restaurant as a “constituent expense.” The $84 expense was changed to a direct purchase from Detroit restaurant Shakes Sweets & Things as a miscellaneous printing expense.
Johnson did not answer questions about why the items on the report were removed or changed. She did not clarify whether she withdrew cash for the charges at the restaurants or if she used another form of payment, nor why there was a printing expense reported at a restaurant.
In response to those questions, Johnson said, “The corrected report was reviewed and approved. I will continue working with my treasurer and the Wayne County Finance Office to ensure my campaign filings are accurate and transparent.”
Other candidates — including Dr. Jameel Smith, a clinical psychologist — also expensed candidate meals totaling nearly $846. Smith told Chalkbeat each of those expenses paid for meals in which she met with potential donors.
In that case, Brewer said the meals are likely legitimate campaign expenses.
In Johnson’s revised report, she listed $100 spent at a tailor to alter a suit ahead of a meet-and-greet event.
The candidate told Chalkbeat the money was used to present herself professionally.
“If you’re in a position where people will be taking pictures of you or the media, you know you want to represent yourself in a good light,” she said.
Brewer said he did not think the charge counts as campaign expense unless the clothing was only used for campaigning.
State law, however, does not explicitly define clothing as a personal expense. The Bureau of Elections’ position in response to previous complaints is that it’s allowable in some cases. The department has said in past cases that it’s acceptable if the candidate committee retains possession of the clothing and gets rid of it before the committee dissolves.
One other candidate — David Harris II, a charter school educator — bought clothing with contributions. He spent $110 at a Westland shop that specializes in branding products. Harris did not respond to a request for comment.
Brewer said money spent to buy clothing with campaign logos and messaging is an allowable expense because it is intended to promote the candidate.
Some candidates spent contributions on travel
Vilma Escamilla-Durán, a DPSCD parent and registered nurse, spent a total of $220 on out-of-state travel and another $85 she said was for a hotel stay to attend a conference on special education.
Escamilla-Durán expensed a hotel stay, two meals, and gas in September in Tennessee and Kentucky.
The travel costs were from a trip Escamilla-Durán said she took to help a Detroit family self-deport after one member was detained by immigration officials.
The candidate said the trip was related to her campaign because it helped inform her understanding of the family’s experience in DPSCD schools and with immigration enforcement.
Brewer said he was not convinced the reported travel in this context is an allowable expense unless the trip was solely intended to aid in her campaign.
Other candidates, including Smith, reported travel expenses. She said she paid for an airplane ticket for a consultant to travel to Detroit from Texas to assist with a campaign photo shoot.
Brewer said travel costs in that context would be allowable, as long as they helped further the campaign.
Johnson spent $167 on candidate travel, gas, and parking — including a rental car she told Chalkbeat she needed to conduct campaign business after her personal vehicle was involved in an accident.
Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.
