Last year, northern Michigan Congressman Jack Bergman received one of the largest individual donations given to a Michigan congressional candidate. That donation came from an out-of-state couple.
The contribution — totaling $289,100 — was initially reported as coming from California entertainment and corporate lawyer Robin Rosensweig. The money was directed to the Bergman Victory Committee, a joint fundraising committee that distributes a portion of its funds directly to Bergman’s campaign account.
Documents obtained from the Federal Election Commission show the donation was later split in two, with half attributed to Rosensweig’s husband, Elliott Broidy. Broidy runs a private equity firm that invests in technology for law enforcement and defense agencies.
Broidy has long been active in Republican political fundraising. He began raising money for Republican candidates during the 2004 Bush-Cheney campaign and later became a top fundraiser for then-presidential candidate Donald Trump in 2016.
Rosensweig and her husband are known for philanthropic work supporting efforts to combat antisemitism.
Support for a pardon
A notable point of overlap between Broidy and Bergman traces back to 2020, when Broidy pleaded guilty in a federal case tied to a foreign lobbying effort. Prosecutors said Broidy received millions from a foreign national in exchange for attempting to persuade U.S. officials to drop a Department of Justice investigation into the embezzlement and laundering of billions of dollars from 1MDB, Malaysia’s state investment fund.
Broidy was pardoned by President Trump in 2021. At that time, the White House released a letter that listed Bergman among the 21 lawmakers and public figures who supported the pardon.
IPR sent multiple requests for comment about the donation to both Bergman and Broidy, but neither responded.
Campaign finance experts say large individual donations like this are becoming increasingly common. The Michigan Campaign Finance Network (MCFN), a nonprofit that tracks political spending in the state, says the influence of so-called “megadonors” continues to grow.
“You have thousands and thousands and millions of people that contribute what they can,” said Michigan Campaign Finance Network board member John Lindstrom. “But while that is critical and important, it pales compared to the money that people can contribute in mega amounts.”
Lindstrom said he expects the trend of increasingly large donations to political candidates to continue in 2026. And he’s not alone.
According to an AdImpact political spending report, Michigan is expected to see close to $1 billion in political spending in the current election cycle. That’s second only to California, which is expected to see $1.1 billion in political spending.
Spending predictions are driven by several high-profile races, including contests for governor, attorney general and U.S. Senate. According to the Cook Political Report, the race for the Michigan Senate seat left open by the retirement of Gary Peters is one of the most competitive in the country.
Bergman is running for reelection in the 1st Congressional District, which covers most of northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula.
