Turn Around Wayne County

Turn Around Wayne County is a 527 political organization that operated as a key vehicle for the powerful Moroun transportation family to influence Detroit and Wayne County elections, most notably spending over $53,000 in Detroit's 2017 City Council races while using delayed disclosure tactics to hide funding sources from voters until months after elections concluded.

The organization represents a political influence operation that successfully elected business-friendly candidates while exploiting Michigan's campaign finance disclosure loopholes. Its activities exemplify how corporate interests can shape local politics through strategic late-stage spending and coordination with multiple political entities, raising significant transparency concerns among campaign finance watchdogs.

Moroun family political machine drives Detroit influence

Turn Around Wayne County PAC was established as a 527 tax-exempt political organization, filing six Form 990s with the IRS as a "qualified state or local political organization" operating in Michigan. The PAC operates without a formal public mission statement, but its activities demonstrate the organization serves as one component of the Moroun family's extensive political network, centered around Central Transport LLC, Crown Enterprises, and the Detroit International Bridge Company.

Turn Around Wayne County PAC was primarily funded by Central Transport LLC, the Moroun family's trucking company, with additional support from corporate donors including a $50,000 contribution from Powering the Economy PAC, which is connected to the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce. The organization avoided significant individual donor activity, instead relying on corporate funding channels.

Matthew Moroun, heir to the family's estimated $1.7 billion transportation empire, serves as the PAC's primary funding source through Central Transport LLC. The Moroun family's extensive property holdings in southwest Detroit neighborhoods, including Corktown, Mexicantown, Delray, and Hubbard-Richard, create ongoing policy interests around zoning, development, and infrastructure projects that affect their transportation, concrete, and bridge operations.

The late Manuel "Matty" Moroun built this business empire, and his son has continued the family's tradition of wielding significant political influence across Detroit and Wayne County. The PAC focuses on supporting business-friendly candidates who align with the Moroun family's economic interests, particularly those affecting transportation, concrete, development, and bridge operations in the Detroit metropolitan area.

Strategic funding and delayed disclosure tactics

During the 2017 Detroit City Council elections, the PAC spent $53,412 total: $51,493 supporting Roy McCalister Jr. in District 2 and $1,919 supporting Scott Benson in District 3. Both candidates won their races. This spending was part of a broader $200,000 Moroun family political operation across multiple PACs, making them the largest single spender in those elections.

The PAC donated over $100,000 to "Save Detroit Jobs" in 2016, which subsequently paid Scott Benson's chief of staff Carol Banks $11,751 in wages and reimbursements through nearly 70 separate payments, including one installment of $6,486. Save Detroit Jobs operated from the same address as Benson's council office and issued press releases quoting Benson.

The PAC employed a controversial delayed disclosure strategy, making expenditures on election day or immediately before to avoid pre-election disclosure requirements. While federal law mandates 24-48 hour reporting for federal races, Michigan state law lacked similar requirements for local elections at the time. This legal loophole allowed the PAC to influence elections while keeping spending secret from voters until January 31, 2018 - nearly three months after the November 7, 2017 elections.

Craig Mauger of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network called this unprecedented in Michigan local elections, though similar strategies had been employed in federal races and other states.

Business and political network influence

Turn Around Wayne County PAC operates within a sophisticated network of Detroit-area business and political leaders that demonstrates cross-partisan coordination in municipal influence campaigns.

Shared Funding through Save Detroit Jobs nonprofit

The most significant network connection involves the shared funding of "Save Detroit Jobs." Save Detroit Jobs raised more than $100,000 in 2016 from multiple sources including Turn Around Wayne County PAC, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, and the Schostak Family PAC.

This coordination demonstrates how Republican donors collaborate through shared funding vehicles to influence Detroit politics.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, one of the state's largest corporate political contributors, was identified as a donor to Save Detroit Jobs PAC, which shared funding sources with Turn Around Wayne County. The insurance giant's leadership, including former CEO Dan Loepp, has been heavily involved in Detroit politics and contributed $116,198 to Mayor Mike Duggan's re-election campaign.

The Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce, led by President Sandy K. Baruah (former U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator), operated the Powering the Economy PAC that contributed $50,000 to Turn Around Wayne County. The Chamber represents 11 Fortune 500 companies and 5.4 million residents, hosting the influential Mackinac Policy Conference and advocating for regional business interests.

Robert "Bobby" Schostak, former Michigan Republican Party Chairman (2011-2015) and head of the Schostak family real estate empire, operates the Schostak Family PAC, which has donated over $700,000 to political candidates since 2008 including contributions to "Save Detroit Jobs."

The PAC network has maintained close relationships with key political figures including Wayne County Executive Warren Evans and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. Duggan's "Turnaround Detroit" super PAC received $100,000 from Central Transport.

Policy impact and electoral success

Turn Around Wayne County PAC achieved a 100% success rate for its directly supported candidates in 2017. The broader Moroun political network achieved a 67% success rate across all supported candidates that cycle. The PAC specifically targeted candidates who supported pro-business development policies and opposed community benefits ordinances that would require concessions from developers. The organization's influence extends beyond electoral politics into policy outcomes. Scott Benson, who received PAC support, later proposed zoning changes favorable to Moroun properties in Southwest Detroit. The PAC network has consistently opposed grassroots community benefits ordinances.