Justice for All Michigan

Justice For All Michigan is a left-of-center political advocacy organization that was launched to support the election of two Democratic nominees for the Michigan Supreme Court, Richard Bernstein and Kyra Harris Bolden, in the 2022 elections. 1 2

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At-A-Glance

Type: 527 (Political Action Committee), Organization
Issue Areas: Multi-Issue Advocacy
Location: Lansing, MI View on map

Contents

    Justice For All Michigan has ties to the trial lawyers’ advocacy group Michigan Association for Justice: The same addresses was listed on websites for both nonprofits. The Michigan Association for Justice was formerly called the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association. 3 A former president of the Michigan Association for Justice made two contributions to a Justice for All MI super PAC in 2020. 4

    The Justice For All Michigan website does not list the names of any officers or staff members of the nonprofit. 5

    Funding

    The Michigan Civic Action Fund gave $600,000 in 2020 to Justice For All Michigan, according to OpenSecrets. 6  Justice For All Michigan spent $675,444 in 2018 and $2.74 million in 2020 on elections, according to OpenSecrets.org. 7

    Michigan Supreme Court Election

    Justice For All Michigan supported candidates Richard Bernstein and Kyra Harris Bolden in the 2022 state Supreme Court elections in Michigan. That election was nonpartisan but the candidates are nominated by political parties. 2

    Bernstein was elected to the Supreme Court, but Bolden finished third and was not elected. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) then appointed Bolden to the State Supreme Court on Nov. 22, 2022. 8 The Democrats had a 4-3 majority on the state Supreme Court as of February 2023. 2

    Ties to the Michigan Association for Justice

    Justice for All Michigan listed its address on its website 5 as 325 S. Walnut St. in Lansing, Michigan. That was the same address for an office building that also was listed as the address for the Michigan Association of Justice PAC that paid for a website that supported Bernstein and Bolden. 9 The Michigan Radio Network also listed its address at 325 S. Walnut St. in Lansing, Michigan. 10

    The Michigan Civic Action Fund’s 2020 tax returns listed Justice For All Michigan’s address as 6639 Centurion Drive Suite 120 in Lansing, Michigan. 11 That is the same address listed on the Michigan Association For Justice website to send personal checks to for contributions to the Justice PAC. 12 The Michigan Association For Justice also listed the same address on a 2015-2016 document posted on the Michigan House of Representatives website with testimony from the Michigan Association For Justice on Senate Bill 352. 13 The Michigan State Bar listed the Michigan Association for Justice’s address as “6639 Centurion Drive, #120” on its website. 14

    The Michigan Asphalt Pavement Association also listed the address of 6639 Centurion Drive, Suite 120 on a U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration website. 15

    The Michigan Association for Justice endorsed seven politicians for the 2022 general election, including Bernstein and Bolden for the state Supreme Court and Judge Sima Patel for the 2nd District Court of Appeals. The Michigan Association for Justice also endorsed Democrats Dana Nessel for Attorney General, Jocelyn Benson for Secretary of State, and Sam Singh and David LaGrand for state senate. 3

    Michigan attorney Ven Johnson was an executive officer as well as president of the Michigan Association For Justice. 16 Ven Johnson Law contributed $5,265 and $4,095 in October 2020 to Justice For All MI super PAC, according to OpenSecrets.org. 4

    Michigan Civic Action Fund

    The Michigan Civic Action Fund gave $700,000 to Justice For All Michigan in 2020. 11 The Michigan Civic Action Fund received $500,000 over two years in 2021 from the left-of-center David Rockefeller Fund for election activities 17 and $100,000 in 2020 from the left-of-center Sixteen Thirty Fund. 18 The Michigan Civic Action Fund gave $2.45 million in 2020 to the left-of-center Progress Michigan. 19

    Politico described the Sixteen Thirty Fund in 2021 as “a left-leaning, secret money group” 20 that gave $140 million in 2019 to “Democratic and left-leaning causes.”21

    The David Rockefeller Fund has funded left-leaning groups such as the League of Conservation Voters, 22 which The Center for Public Integrity described in 2013 as “fast becoming one of the nation’s strongest ‘dark money’ forces.” 23

    Facebook Advertising

    Justice For All Michigan paid for 99 advertisements on Facebook that ran from Sept. 29, 2022 through Nov. 7, 2022. In one instance, Justice For All Michigan paid up to $8,000 for an advertisement promoting Sima Patel for Michigan’s 2nd District Court of Appeals. Patel was appointed to Michigan’s 2nd District Court of Appeal by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) in March 2022. She was running in a special election in November 2022 24 and won. 25

    Social Media

    Justice For All Michigan’s Facebook page had its first post on Oct. 29, 2018. There were two more posts on Oct. 29, 2018 and then another post July 17, 2020. The posts had no content and were updates of profile pictures and cover photos on Facebook. 1

    Justice For All Michigan’s Twitter page states that it is “a political organization designed to help Michigan citizens hold the judiciary accountable.” 26

    In November 2022, Justice for All Michigan tweeted twice in support of Richard Bernstein and Kyra Harris Bolden. 27

    On Oct. 21, 2022, Justice for All Michigan tweeted “ICYMI” on a retweet of a video of actress Julia Louis Dreyfuss stating she was working with the Daily Kos asking for political donations for elections in state supreme courts to stop “awful voter suppression & abortion bans that Republicans are passing.” 28

    On Sept. 29, 2022, Justice for All Michigan tweeted, “It’s simple, don’t return your ballot until you vote Bernstein and Bolden!” 29

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    References

    1. Justice For All Michigan Facebook page. Accessed Jan. 18, 2023. https://www.facebook.com/justiceforallmi/
    2. Lauren Gibbons. “Who Are The Five Candidates Running For Michigan Supreme Court?” Bridge. Sept. 21, 2022. Accessed Feb. 13, 2023. https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/who-are-five-candidates-running-michigan-supreme-court
    3. Michigan Association For Justice. 2022 General Election Endorsements. Accessed Feb. 15, 2023. https://www.michiganjustice.org/?pg=2022Endorse1
    4. Open Secrets. Donor Lookup. Accessed Feb. 19, 2023. https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=ven+johnson&order=desc&sort=A
    5. Justice For All Michigan website. Accessed Jan. 18, 2023. https://www.justiceforallmi.org/
    6. OpenSecrets. Donor Lookup. Accessed Feb. 27, 2023. https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?cand=&cycle=&employ=&order=desc&page=4&sort=A&state=MI&zip=
    7. OpenSecrets. Justice For All Michigan. Overview. Accessed Feb. 19, 2023. https://www.opensecrets.org/527s/527cmtedetail.php?cycle=2018&ein=825471655
    8. Yue Stella Yu. “Kyra Harris Bolden Makes History With Appointment To Michigan Supreme Court”; Bridge. Nov. 22, 2022. Accessed Feb. 14, 2023. https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/kyra-harris-bolden-makes-history-appointment-michigan-supreme-court
    9. Michigan Association For Justice. Justice PAC Mission. Accessed Feb. 14, 2023. https://www.michiganjustice.org/?pg=jpacmission
    10. AHMF Media List. Accessed March 1, 2023. http://nebula.wsimg.com/2c4f0a760cf4607139b915b5dd49cafd?AccessKeyId=9130A3204A9B9CFA06F6&disposition=0&alloworigin=1
    11. Michigan Civic Action Fund. Form 990. Part II. Grants And Other Assistance To Domestic Organizations And Domestic Governments. 2020. Accessed Feb. 13, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/823995979/202102019349300005/IRS990ScheduleI
    12. Michigan Association For Justice. Justice PAC Application. Accessed Feb. 15, 2023. https://www.michiganjustice.org/?pg=jpacapp
    13. Michigan Association For Justice. Senate Bill 352 Testimony. Accessed Feb. 27, 2023. https://www.house.mi.gov/sessiondocs/2015-2016/testimony/Committee335-3-8-2016.pdf
    14. Michigan State Bar website. State Bar Of Michigan Recognized Bar Associations. Accessed Feb. 27, 2023. https://www.michbar.org/resources/localspecialbar
    15. U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration website. Office Of International Programs. Accessed Feb. 27, 2023. https://international.fhwa.dot.gov/apw/appendixa.cfm
    16. Ven Johnson Law. Accessed Feb. 19, 2023. https://venjohnsonlaw.com/personnel/ven-johnson/
    17. David Rockefeller Fund. Programs. Environment. Accessed Feb. 15, 2023. http://www.drfund.org/programs/environment/
    18. Sixteen Thirty Fund. Form 990. 2020. Part II. Continuation Of Grants And Other Assistance To Domestic Organizations And Domestic Governments. Accessed Feb. 15, 2023. https://www.sixteenthirtyfund.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Sixteen-Thirty-Fund-2020-Public-Disclosure-Copy.pdf
    19. Michigan Civic Action Fund. Form 990. 2020. Part II Grants And Other Assistance To Domestic Organizations And Domestic Governments. Accessed Feb. 19, 2023. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/82-3995979
    20. Scott Bland. “Liberal ‘Dark-Money’ Behemoth Funneled More Than $400M In 2020”; Politico. Nov. 17, 2021. Accessed Feb. 13, 2023. Liberal ‘dark-money’ behemoth funneled more than $400M in 2020 – POLITICO
    21. Scott Bland. Maggie Severns. “Documents Reveal Massive ‘Dark-Money’ Group Boosted Democrats In 2018”; Politico. Nov. 18, 2019. Accessed Feb. 15, 2023. https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/19/dark-money-democrats-midterm-071725
    22. [1] David Rockefeller Fund. Programs. Environment. Accessed Feb. 15, 2023. http://www.drfund.org/programs/environment/
    23. Michael Beckel. “League Of Conservation Voters Becoming ‘Dark Money’ Heavyweight”; The Center For Public Integrity. Nov. 22, 2013. Accessed Feb. 16, 2023. https://publicintegrity.org/politics/league-of-conservation-voters-becoming-dark-money-heavyweight/
    24. Michigan League of Conservation Voters. “Michigan LCV Endorses Sima Patel For Court Of Appeals”; Oct. 13, 2022. Accessed Feb. 13, 2023. https://michiganlcv.org/news/michigan-lcv-endorses-sima-patel-for-court-of-appeals/
    25. Ballotpedia. Sima Patel. Accessed Feb. 19, 2023. https://ballotpedia.org/Sima_Patel
    26. Justice For All Michigan Twitter page. Accessed Jan. 18, 2023. https://twitter.com/justiceforallmi
    27. Justice For All Michigan Twitter page. Accessed Jan. 18, 2023. https://twitter.com/justiceforallmi/status/1589985396578213890
    28. Justice For All Michigan Twitter page. Accessed Jan. 18, 2023. https://twitter.com/justiceforallmi/status/1576345624626139136
    29. Justice For All Michigan Twitter page. Accessed Jan. 18, 2023. https://twitter.com/justiceforallmi/status/1575520853365858304