July 30, 2024
Defend the Vote, a pro-democracy organization, has requested the Department of Justice to investigate 8th Congressional District Democratic candidate Matt Collier for potentially hiding his investments from voters.
Defend The Vote is an advocacy organization focused on protecting the right to vote. The group monitors reports filed by candidates across the country and, in doing so, found missing information in Collier’s personal financial disclosure that he was required to submit to the House of Representatives as a congressional candidate.
Defend the Vote alerted the Justice Department of the violation in a letter, stating that Collier’s personal financial disclosure omits key information about an Individual Retirement Account he owns. The IRA includes up to $5 million in assets.
“Too many members of Congress are already profiting off insider information and stock trades. We don’t need another,” DTV Executive Director Brian Lemek said. “These ethics laws are in place to warn voters about potential conflicts of interest. Now, voters don’t have the full picture about how Matt Collier might personally benefit by serving in Congress. The Department of Justice should immediately investigate this violation and hold him accountable.”
Collier reported an IRA with assets valued between $1 million and $5 million and listed it as “IH,” meaning IRA (Held in Cash). He did not specify the financial institution managing his IRA or any underlying investments contained within it.
According to Lemek, Defend the Vote asked the Department of Justice to investigate as they find it unlikely that such a large asset would be entirely in cash and have no investments. They also believe it is important for voters to know the institution managing the IRA.
“The lack of detail provided by Mr. Collier prevents constituents and the general public from understanding where and how his personal finances might intersect with legislative duties, should he be elected,” Lemek wrote in the letter. “This kind of transparency is crucial for ensuring accountability and maintaining public trust in the electoral process and the integrity of our representatives.”
According to the letter, by omitting this information, the personal financial disclosure “fails to provide the transparency and detail required under the Ethics in Government Act of 1978…and described in the House of Representatives Ethics Manual.”
“This omission is a significant departure from the standards of full and detailed disclosure intended by the Ethics in Government Act, which is designed to ensure that public officials provide a clear and comprehensive view of their financial interests to avoid any conflicts of interest or the appearance thereof,” Lemek stated in the letter.
Matt Collier’s Campaign Manager Simon Korn called Defend the Vote’s actions a “distraction” and noted that the organization in 2024 has donated $5,000 to one of his competitors in the Aug. 6 Democratic primary, Kristen McDonald Rivet.
“A group that has funded the (Kristen McDonald) Rivet campaign to the tune of thousands of dollars is now also helping her distract Mid-Michigan voters from the fact that she has taken big money from a shady for-profit charter school founder with close ties to Betsy DeVos,” Korn said in a written statement.
“Defend The Vote proudly endorsed Kristen McDonald Rivet – (as did) Gov. Whitmer, Congressman Kildee, and Michigan labor unions like
the UAW – because in Congress (McDonald Rivet) will take on the special interests and fight to protect the freedom to vote,” Lemek said. “This doesn’t change the fact that Collier is in violation of the law.”
Read the story in Midland Daily News here
