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Article by Tom Perkins

Last year, the pro-Israel regents of University of Michigan (U-M) ignited controversy by recruiting State Attorney General Dana Nessel to crackdown on campus Gaza protesters. Now, members of U-M’s Board of Regents are making large donations to Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald, a candidate who may replace Nessel.

McDonald is the prosecutor in a wealthy suburban county north of Detroit. McDonald also received the highest level of corporate donations from the state’s largest businesses and executives, and is viewed as the establishment choice to replace Nessel.

McDonald is also receiving significant backing from donors that include prolific GOP contributors and those connected to pro-Israel organizations in metro Detroit, as well as from national organizations like Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces and AIPAC. The regents and pro-Israel donors have contributed at least $200,000 to McDonald’s campaign, according to state and federal campaign donation records reviewed by Drop Site.

McDonald has reportedly raised $840,000 in donations so far—more than the other four candidates combined. An analysis of campaign finance records shows donations of at least $2,500, meaning it is likely the pro-Israel donations to her are higher.

State records show significant donations from the three U-M regents most closely tied to Nessel, who led the attack against campus protesters. Those donations include nearly $11,000 from regents Jordan Acker and Mark Bernstein, who have belonged to pro-Israel groups like the Jewish Federation, American Jewish Committee, and Hillel. Bernstein twice referred to pro-Palestinian advocates as “an antisemetic mob,” including after his home was vandalized with anti-Israel graffiti, and Acker said the protests demonstrate that “antisemitism runs rampant” on campus.

Regent Denise Illitch, part of the Little Caesar’s Pizza billionaire family, donated the maximum allowed by a single individual of nearly $8,400.

Records show a diverse range of large donations from state and national pro-Israel figures, including $37,500 from the family of Gary Torgow, a prominent Michigan bank executive, prolific campaign donor, and president of the Jewish Federation of North America.

While opinions of each person included in the campaign donation analysis aren’t known, they are affiliated with pro-Israel activists or groups in metro Detroit. Many are associated with the Jewish Federation of Detroit, for example, which has materially supported the Friend of the IDF, funded explicitly pro-Israel nonprofits, and criticized the use of the term “genocide” to describe Israel’s assault on Gaza.

Detroit Pistons executive Arn Tellem, who owns an Israeli basketball team, and his wife gave a combined $16,650. Tellem in December 2023 penned an op-ed critical of the Gaza protest movement.

James Bellinson, who gave nearly $8,400, is an AIPAC and major centrist Democrat donor. His wife gave $7,200 to US Rep. Shri Thanedar in November 2023, soon after the Detroit lawmaker announced he was splitting with the Democratic Socialists of America because it was critical of Israel, and he became a vocal proponent of Israel’s assault on Gaza.

Another $8,000 came from Nicole Eisenberg, who is affiliated with the Jewish Federation and recently co-executive produced a documentary on antisemitism in the US with Debra Messing. Artist Gretchen Davidson, who married into the billionaire Davidson family that since the 1940s has been a major Zionist movement funder, gave $1,000. Joan Epstein, who is part of the national Hadassah Women’s Zionist Organization of America, and who took part in a Friends of IDF fundraiser, contributed $2,500.

The donations appear to be an effort by the regents and donors to secure another pro-Israel ally in the state’s highest law enforcement office, and raises ethical questions about campaign donations to prosecutorial candidates.

While campaign donations are considered protected speech, prosecutorial candidates who knowingly receive donations from a complainant in a high-profile case should consider returning the donation or recusal, said Chesa Boudin, a former San Francisco district attorney who now runs the University of California at Berkeley Criminal Law and Justice Center.

“There can certainly be the appearance of impropriety… … and I would exercise my own discretion to maintain the appearance of impartiality and independence,” Boudin said.

A donation to an AG can be much more impactful than donating to a legislative candidate, Boudin added, because “there’s a much more direct connection between the outcome of the election and the issue that [the donor] is contributing for.”

In a statement, a McDonald spokesperson said she “has received support from a broad variety of Michigan residents who are looking for an attorney general who will keep our communities safe, stand up for the vulnerable, and fight to protect their rights from Donald Trump.”

“Regarding the regents, Karen has not reviewed the cases and cannot comment on the details, but believes the attorney general’s office should instead be focused on serving communities without resources,” the spokesperson said.

McDonald’s main opponent is Eli Savit, a progressive Jewish prosecutor in Ann Arbor. U-M’s response to protesters has been a legal controversy since late 2023, when Savit filed only minor charges against four out of 40 people arrested during a sit-in at a campus building. He also did not immediately press charges against protesters in early 2024, including those who set up an encampment. Savit declined to comment for this article.

Angered by Savit’s unwillingness to quickly crack down on the protesters, U-M’s regents executed a highly unusual move in mid-2024 in recruiting Nessel. A Guardian investigation revealed Nessel’s extensive political, financial, and personal connections to university leadership.

Six of eight regents contributed more than $33,000 combined to Nessel’s campaigns, and her office hired regent Bernstein’s law firm to handle major state cases, Bernstein co-chaired her 2018 campaign, and she has personal relationships with some regents, including Acker. Nessel also had the backing of many state pro-Israel groups. Nessel and the university have denied that she was “recruited.”

She filed charges against 11 campus protesters, but ultimately dropped the cases. A judge was preparing to hold a hearing on disqualifying the AG’s office over bias, in part because of her connections to the regents, and she would have been forced to turn over communications about why she took the cases.

In April 2025, Nessel partnered with the Trump FBI to raid homes where several student protesters lived. Nessel’s office said at the time that the raids were part of an investigation into the vandalism of homes and businesses of U-M leadership. Nessel and the Trump administration seized phones, computers and a car, but have since said nothing about the raids.

The next attorney general may takeover the investigation into those crimes, which has been a point of outrage for pro-Israel advocates in the region.

The new round of donations shows how far regents will go, said Drin Shapiro, a U-M student who is part of the TAHRIR Coalition, a student-led coalition of more than 90 pro-Palestine student organizations at the University of Michigan. Shapiro was charged by Nessel, but later had his cases dismissed.

“This proves that no matter what, the regents are going to try to have a foot in the door with whoever is able to slap charges on the protesters—if not Nessel then McDonald,” Shapiro said. He added that TAHRIR stays out of electoral politics and won’t be backing any of the candidates.

Shapiro said Nessel was forced to drop case against protesters over similar pro-Israel ties, and McDonald, if she investigated students, would be “doing the same thing.”

Shapiro added that “She would prosecuting pro-Palestine protesters and over stepping her jurisdiction just to serve pro-Israel interests, and particularly for regents Jordan Acker and Mark Bernstein.”

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BREWSTER, Minn. — Lots of hugs were shared, tears were shed and utter shock was witnessed as a rural Minnesota family was surprised with the Best Christmas Ever early Sunday afternoon, Dec. 14.

More than two dozen people caravaned behind a Brewster Fire Truck to deliver gifts to Austin and Stephanie VandeKamp and their 6-year-old daughter, Callee, in Brewster, Minnesota, in Nobles County.

“We just came to bring some joy to your life,” said Sue Hagen, one of the local coordinators for the nationwide nonprofit

Best Christmas Ever organization,

which surprises families who have experienced hard times. “Last year, with the loss of Jaelee, none of these gifts we’re bringing to you will ever replace her, but we just thought that your family deserved a little joy this Christmas.”

The Vande Kamps gave birth to their daughter, Jaelee, on Feb. 4, 2024. Shortly thereafter, Jaelee was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, TAPVR (Total Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return). She spent her first eight months in the cardiovascular intensive care unit at Children’s Minnesota in Minneapolis, where she had 10 surgeries and ultimately required continuous dialysis.

Stephanie didn’t get to hold Jaelee until she was 50 days old, and stayed with Jaelee for much of her hospitalization. When she did come home, Austin would go to the hospital to stay with their youngest daughter.

They were finally able to bring Jaelee home on Sept. 23, 2024. Because she was dependent on respiratory support, someone had to be awake with her 24/7, so Stephanie got very little sleep, family friend Ashley Prins detailed in the nomination letter she sent to Best Christmas Ever.

Julie Buntjer / The Globe

Jaelee died unexpectedly on Dec. 9, 2024, while attending regular follow-up appointments in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Jaelee’s death compounded the loss the family was still feeling from the sudden death of Stephanie’s dad from a heart attack on Easter morning 2022.

“The community just rallies around a family and they don’t even know who it will be,” Hagen said, noting that Bedford Industries, Sanford Worthington and District 518 were among employers who stepped up alongside community members to “help uplift a family.”

Locally, the Best Christmas Ever program is sponsored by the Astrup Family Foundation, owner of Sterling Pharmacy stores, which provides $5,000 toward a life-changing gift for a local family who has fallen on hard times through no fault of their own. Business partners included Worthington Federal Savings Bank and Runnings who, along with Sterling Pharmacy, had giving trees set up at their businesses in recent weeks to accept gifts and monetary donations for the recipients.

The VandeKamps were nominated for the Best Christmas Ever program by family friend Ashley Prins.

“I would love to make this year a joyous season again for them in regards to holidays and I would love to see the three of them be able to get away on a vacation and enjoy their time together as they missed out on so much of that during this life struggle,” Prins wrote in her letter.

Julie Buntjer / The Globe

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In addition to a mound of neatly wrapped gifts — most of which were for Callee — the family was presented with a monetary gift of $7,403.07. The local Best Christmas Ever committee will work with the family on how the gift may be used.

“I don’t know what to say,” Austin said after accepting the money.

“Merry Christmas,” replied Chad Nixon, representing Worthington Federal Savings Bank.

Callee opened her largest box, which contained a child-sized recliner just for her, as well as two stuffed animals to match the chair. Stephanie and Austin received Minnesota Twins jerseys reflecting their favorite current Twins players.

Among the people on hand Sunday were last year’s recipients, the Adrian and Melissa Gonzalez family, of Worthington. The Gonzalezes lost their son, Emmitt, to cancer in September 2023.

Hagen also presented the family with over $1,000 in gift cards to local businesses, and noted that donations are still coming in. The Best Christmas Ever committee will meet again with the Vande Kamps after Christmas, she said.

The VandeKamps were completely surprised by the gesture — after admitting a bit of fear as to why a fire truck with lights on and siren blaring pulled into their rural Brewster farmyard.

“I thought right away my barn was on fire, my lambs were running everywhere, then I saw a big wad of cars and I thought, ‘what’?” Austin said.

Julie Buntjer became editor of The Globe in July 2021, after working as a beat reporter at the Worthington newspaper since December 2003. She has a bachelor’s degree in agriculture journalism from South Dakota State University.

Missouri’s attorney general has revealed which Chinese assets the state will be targeting in a $50 billion legal row. 

The Show Me State’s legal battle with China has intensified as both sides pursue multibillion-dollar claims related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

And now, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has explained what is on the table in terms of what assets will be targeted in the litigation. 

“China caused extraordinary harm to our citizens and our economy,” she told Newsweek. “We are committed to holding them accountable and recovering every dollar we can. I’ve been asked if we will seize the pandas at the National Zoo. The answer is no, we are looking at other Chinese-owned assets, including farmland.”

Why It Matters

The confrontation highlights ongoing diplomatic rifts between the United States and China and raises complex questions about international law, sovereign immunity, and the ability of U.S. states to seize foreign-owned property. The outcome could set precedents for future pandemic-related litigation and diplomatic engagement between the two countries.

What To Know

China recently filed a lawsuit in a Wuhan court against Missouri and several state officials, seeking more than $50 billion in damages and public apologies.

In response, Missouri is advancing efforts to enforce a $24 billion U.S. court judgment against the Chinese government and affiliated entities—by targeting certain Chinese-owned assets within the United States.

The current dispute stems from a 2020 lawsuit filed by Missouri, which alleged that China exacerbated the coronavirus pandemic by hoarding personal protective equipment (PPE) and failing to provide timely warnings regarding the virus. 

Earlier this year, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office obtained a $24–$25 billion judgment against the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese Communist Party, and related entities after Chinese officials declined to participate in the U.S. court process.

In response to Missouri’s legal success, China has now filed a $50.5 billion (356.4 billion yuan) lawsuit in the Intermediate People’s Court of Wuhan.

The complaint, jointly submitted by the Chinese government, Wuhan’s municipal government, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Wuhan Institute of Virology, names the state of Missouri, Governor Mike Kehoe, U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt, and former Attorney General Andrew Bailey as defendants.

The Chinese lawsuit claims Missouri and its officials engaged in “fabricating enormous disinformation, and spreading stigmatizing and discriminating slanders” that impaired China’s economic interests and reputation. 

Alongside financial compensation, China seeks public apologies in prominent American and Chinese media outlets, recovery of legal costs, and the right to claim further damages.

What People Are Saying

Hanaway said: “I find it extremely telling that the Chinese blame our great state for ‘belittling the social evaluation’ of The Wuhan Institute of Virology… We stand undeterred in our mission to collect on our $24 billion judgment that was lawfully handed down in federal court.”

U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt, who initiated Missouri’s original lawsuit, said: “I’ve been banned from Communist China, and now I am being sued and targeted by Communist China in a $50 Billion lawfare campaign, and I’ll wear it like a badge of honor… This novel lawsuit is factually baseless, legally meritless, and any fake judgment a Chinese court issues in this lawsuit we will easily beat back and keep from being enforced against the people of Missouri or me.”

Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, described the Missouri lawsuit as “a purely politically motivated maneuver [and] China firmly opposes it, will never accept it, and reserves the right to take strong countermeasures.”

What Happens Next

Missouri is in the process of seeking certification of its federal court judgment—a legal prerequisite for initiating asset seizures under U.S. law. If certification is granted, the state may move forward with efforts to identify and seize Chinese-owned assets, particularly farmland and financial interests connected to the Chinese government or its proxies.

Simultaneously, Chinese legal action in Wuhan courts is ongoing, with the plaintiffs demanding significant damages and public apologies.