LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt asked the U.S. Department of Justice on Monday to investigate Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's connections to businesswoman and political donor Fay Beydoun.

On May 6, state Attorney General Dana Nessel charged Beydoun of Farmington Hills with 16 felonies, alleging Beydoun had misused a $20 million taxpayer-funded grant that was meant to create a business accelerator.

Beydoun, an appointee of Whitmer and a donor to her campaign, had pushed for the grant directly through work with the governor's administration, according to court records.

In a letter to Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, Nesbitt said the ties between Whitmer and Beydoun warranted "a federal inquiry into a potential 'pay-to-play' scheme."

"Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel maintains a well-documented personal friendship and political alliance with Gov. Whitmer," Nesbitt wrote to Blanche. "This relationship creates an inherent conflict of interest that calls into question whether the Michigan attorney general can impartially investigate the governor."

Whitmer and Nessel are both Democrats. Nesbitt, a Republican from Van Buren County, is seeking the GOP nomination for governor.

Nessel has said Quentin Messer Jr., president and CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corp., remains a target of her office's investigation into the grant money. Nessel hasn't made similar comments about Whitmer, who is in her eighth and final year as governor.

The Attorney General's Office has released records indicating that Beydoun had a meeting scheduled with Whitmer on Dec. 9, 2021. Nessel has said investigators haven't been able to confirm whether the meeting took place.

Beydoun's "outline" for the meeting referenced a $25 million funding request and items Beydoun had "delivered," according to the affidavit. Among the delivered items listed by Beydoun was "$330k first term" and working with Messer on "establishing relationships with Republicans."

It wasn't clear from the document what the $330,000 referenced. But Nessel has said her office believes the $330,000 related to political fundraising.

The Legislature approved the money for Beydoun's Global Link International in 2022 as part of the state budget.

A Whitmer spokeswoman hasn't directly answered a question about whether the meeting occurred on Dec. 9, 2021.

"Misuse of taxpayer dollars has no place in Lansing," Whitmer spokeswoman Stacey LaRouche said previously. "Anyone who receives taxpayer dollars must follow the law and use those resources appropriately.

"If that does not happen and someone defrauds the state, they must be held accountable under the law," LaRouche added.

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