Sturgis-Coldwater News

Sens. Jonathan Lindsey and Lana Theis have sent a letter to Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) Director Quentin Messer, urging the state to suspend payments to the Gotion battery plant due to concerns over national security. The senators also requested that any funds already distributed be recouped.

The senators expressed concern about China's attempts to infiltrate and compromise the safety of the United States through industrial espionage. Lindsey stated, "National security experts from both sides of the aisle have sounded the alarm about China's attempts to infiltrate and compromise our safety through industrial espionage." He criticized Governor Gretchen Whitmer for ignoring these warnings and using taxpayer dollars to support the project.

Their concerns are supported by high-ranking officials, including President Joe Biden's CIA Director William Burns, who labeled China as the biggest long-term threat to the United States. Burns highlighted China's intent to reshape the international order and its economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to do so.

FBI Director Christopher Wray also warned about the security threat posed by China, stating that they target American freedoms and seek to silence, coerce, and threaten citizens and residents. Former Obama administration CIA Director and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta echoed these concerns and specifically cited the Gotion battery plant as a threat to American security. Panetta cautioned against providing any tax incentives to Gotion, emphasizing the risk of espionage.

Sen. Theis criticized the Whitmer administration for disregarding the concerns raised by local residents and bipartisan state and federal officials. She expressed frustration over the dangers posed by the project and urged for its abandonment. Theis stated, "The position they are putting our state in is downright dangerous, and we need to discard the project and recoup any funds meant for its development."

The senators strongly believe that using taxpayer funds for partisan green energy initiatives that invite foreign adversaries is reprehensible and must be stopped.

The letter sent by Sens. Lindsey and Theis to MEDC Director Quentin Messer can be found attached to this email.

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Contact information for Sen. Jonathan Lindsey:

Senator Jonathan Lindsey

P.O. Box 30036

Lansing, MI 48909-7536