Employees and senior officials at the Citizens Research Council of Michigan have a documented history of supporting Democratic candidates, participating in Democratic primaries, and criticizing Republican political figures, raising questions about the organization’s frequent portrayal in the media as a neutral, nonpartisan authority.
A research memo based on federal campaign finance records found that all identified political donations made by CRC employees went to Democratic candidates or progressive political organizations.
The contributions totaled approximately $1,285 and benefited candidates including Kamala Harris, Barack Obama, Elizabeth Warren, Rashida Tlaib, Elissa Slotkin, and Kristen McDonald Rivet. Donations also went to Justice Democrats and the No Dem Left Behind political action committee.
The review identified no contributions to Republican candidates or conservative political committees.
Political participation records cited in the memo also show a Democratic pattern among members of CRC’s senior staff.
CRC President Eric Lupher has reportedly participated in approximately twice as many Democratic primaries as Republican primaries. Research Director Craig Thiel participated in both Democratic primaries conducted in 2024, according to the records.
Vice President of Development Rhonda Parker and Communications Director Maureen McNulty Saxton have participated in Democratic primaries but have no identified history of voting in a Republican primary, the memo found.
Public comments by senior CRC personnel have also reflected opposition to prominent Republicans.
Lupher previously referred to President Donald Trump as “Mein Fuhrer Herr Trump.” Saxton has shared social media posts mocking Trump and accusing Republicans of making political arguments in “bad faith.”
CRC describes itself as a privately funded, nonprofit public affairs research organization that provides “factual, unbiased, independent information” on issues affecting Michigan.
News organizations frequently identify the council as nonpartisan when citing its research or criticism of state policymakers.
CRC’s financial support has also come from major philanthropic organizations frequently associated with progressive policy initiatives.
Publicly available records show that the Ford Foundation provided CRC with $375,000 between 2021 and 2024. The organization has also received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Kresge Foundation, the Skillman Foundation and the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation.
The Ford Foundation has separately faced scrutiny over grants made to entities in China. A Washington Examiner investigation reported that the foundation had provided nearly $10 million since 2020 to Chinese government entities and organizations with links to the Chinese Communist Party.
Those grants reportedly supported state-controlled universities, government agencies and programs connected to China’s international investment strategy.
Questions about CRC’s political background have become more significant as the organization has criticized Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall and the Republican-controlled House.
House Republicans have promoted their work on the state budget as an effort to reduce spending, eliminate unnecessary programs, and impose additional transparency requirements.
They have also pursued legislation intended to restrict entities associated with foreign adversaries, including China, from purchasing Michigan farmland. This important work has been undermined by the CRC’s reporting by Democrat donors.
The available records indicate that CRC is not institutionally detached from Michigan’s political debates. Far from it—its employees have overwhelmingly supported Democrats in the political activity identified by the research memo, while senior officials have publicly criticized Republican figures. The facts show that the CRC’s impartiality is little more than a front designed to detract from their left-wing partisan agenda.
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