Whitmer turns in disclosure report on finances

Mich. governor details more than $2.5 million in assets

Clara Hendrickson

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer — who has spent most of her working life in elected office — has done well for herself financially, according to a report she filed Monday to comply with a voter-approved constitutional amendment requiring state lawmakers and those holding top statewide offices to disclose financial information.

Whitmer reported over $2.5 million in financial assets from investments and retirement accounts. She also reported over $50,000 in additional income on top of her $159,300 salary as governor.

Whitmer currently lives in the governor’s mansion and owns a cottage in Elk Rapids worth $418,200, according to her financial disclosure report.

When she finishes her second term as governor, Whitmer could see a significant financial boost from her forthcoming book “TRUE GRETCH: What I’ve Learned About Life, Leadership, and Everything in Between,” which hits bookstore shelves this summer. Whitmer plans to donate net proceeds from the book during her term as governor to the Capital Region Community Foundation, according to a news release from publisher Simon & Schuster. The foundation is focused on “creating vibrant, thriving communities through Michigan’s capital region,” according to its website.

The governor will use Super Deluxe LLC to donate the proceeds from publishing the book, according to Clark Hill lawyer Christopher Trebilcock, who has previously represented the governor and her campaign and is associated with the new LLC. “It was set up to handle personal affairs and to stay in strict compliance with campaign finance and state ethics laws. The use of an LLC is a standard practice,” Trebilcock wrote in an email.

The Super Deluxe, LLC was created last November, according to the state’s filings for corporations.

The next month, Whitmer signed legislation implementing Proposal 1, which voters approved in the 2022 midterm election to require lawmakers to report information about their finances. Proposal 1 was the most popular ballot measure up for a vote last year, garnering 66% of the vote. Some transparency advocates wanted the legislation to implement Proposal 1 to go further, expressing concerns that the new laws would create reporting loopholes.

Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-2965743. Follow her on X, previously called Twitter, @clarajanehen.

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