Hill Harper fundraiser raises questions over campaign launch pledge

Hill Harper made a campaign pledge the day after he jumped into Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary: “It’s a people-powered campaign, to actually represent people, not lobbyists, not donors,” he said on a sidewalk in Detroit last month.

The slogan has become part of the Harvard-educated lawyer and Hollywood star’s main pitch to voters. But weeks later, Harper is preparing to hold a private fundraiser organized by well-known Michigan musician and attorney Robert Baldori, according to the invitation obtained by NBC News, whose practice works on some public policy issues and was formerly registered in the state’s lobbying database.

Baldori runs Baldori Law with his son, Marcus, and boasts 40 years of experience in everything from criminal law to business litigation and cannabis law. He has served on a state panel advising on cannabis policy, and his firm registered to lobby in late 2018 through early 2019, according to Michigan state records.

Asked to detail his consulting efforts, Baldori told NBC News he and his son “have a long history of representing clients in the cannabis business, as well as over 30 years representing high-tech startups” and “a large practice in the entertainment business.” Baldori disputed any allegations of lobbying but said he advocates for “constructive public policy” as part of his role on Nessel’s advisory board for marijuana policy.

Meanwhile, in July, Marcus Baldori represented client Michele Lundgren at her arraignment after she was charged with eight counts of election fraud, as part of state Attorney General Dana Nessel’s probe into efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Lundgren was one of 16 Republicans subpoenaed by federal agents for signing her name as a phony elector for former President Donald Trump after the 2020 election. She was a Detroit-based GOP candidate for the Michigan state House in 2022. 

The law firm had since withdrawn representation of Lundgren, effectively dropping her as a client, according to Robert Baldori. He said Lundgren “was an old friend” who they “consulted with briefly before she moved on,” adding that they “wish her well.” 

The fundraising event for Harper, to be held at the end of August, suggests a minimum contribution of $250 to attend, with other levels including $500 and $1,000 also suggested on the digital flier. The donations go to Hill Harper for Michigan, which is the progressive candidate’s political committee.

“Hill Harper is building a broad coalition of supporters across the state of Michigan,” Rebecca Pearcey, a senior adviser to the Hill Harper campaign, told NBC News in a statement. “Many of whom have contributed to other progressive candidates in Michigan and are helping raise money to ensure our U.S. Senate stays in Democratic hands.” 

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Harper, 57, faces an uphill race for the Democratic Senate nomination against Rep. Elissa Slotkin. The former CIA analyst, who spent her early life in Michigan, declared her bid for retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow’s seat in February after winning three terms in one of Michigan’s most closely divided House districts.

Harper’s recently built ties to Michigan, including his 2017 purchase of a historic Detroit mansion and a coffee shop downtown, have come under scrutiny as “The Good Doctor” actor boasts his admiration for the state and giving back to its communities.

“I fell in love with the people — the greatest people in the world live here,” said Harper at a July 11. He recently enrolled his son, who previously went to school in Seattle, at a school in Michigan.

Slotkin came under fire during her 2022 re-election bid last fall when The Detroit News reported that she had temporarily leased a condo from a Lansing-based business executive and donor who did business with the federal government.

Slotkin’s campaign responded that the congresswoman planned to purchase a home in Lansing once the terms of the lease were up the week of the election.

Slotkin’s campaign tells NBC News that it doesn’t don’t have a policy against accepting donations from lobbyists, but she does not accept corporate PAC money and co-sponsored a bill in 2022 to ban all corporate PACs.

To date, six Democrats and three Republicans in Michigan have filed paperwork to run for Senate in the 2024 election.