Mike Rogers campaign sends cease and desist over Slotkin ad in Michigan

Michigan GOP Senate nominee Mike Rogers’s campaign has sent cease and desist letters to more than two dozen local television stations over an ad released by his opponent that it says is false and misleading. 

The letter from two legal counsels for the Rogers campaign said the ads sponsored by the campaign for Rep. Elissa Slotkin, the Democratic nominee for the Senate seat, make a few false claims regarding Rogers’s residency and business involvement. 

The ad accuses the former House member of leaving “Michigan for good” after the end of his time in office. Rogers represented Michigan’s 8th Congressional District from 2001-15. 

The legal team said the claim is “patently false,” as Rogers is currently a taxpaying resident of Michigan and is registered to vote in the state. 

Democrats have sought to accuse Rogers of carpetbagging due to a home he owned in Florida after leaving office and being registered to vote there. He has since moved back to Michigan and resumed being a voter in the state.

The letter also notes that the ad accuses Rogers of “helping Chinese tech companies” and “giving them access to the U.S.,” but the counsels said this claim is also false as Rogers has not worked for any Chinese technology firms, including ZTE and Huawei, both of which are named on the screen during the ad. 

The counsels said the ad cites a Business Insider article claiming Rogers made “millions” through this work, but the article does not say this nor mention ZTE or Huawei. They note the article states Rogers decided to become involved in cybersecurity firms after leaving office to “help push back on both international criminal gangs” and Russia and China. 

The letter says Rogers founded an organization called 5G Action Now in 2020 to oppose Chinese companies trying to be involved in 5G networks in the U.S. and help remove Chinese hardware from infrastructure in the country. 

Chris Gustafson, the communications director for the Rogers campaign, said Slotkin previously “couldn’t stop raving” about his record for Michiganders but has changed because she is running against him.

“But rather than defend her own record of high grocery prices, a dangerous open border, and votes to ban gas cars, she’s decided to spread lies and falsehoods about Mike Rogers’ to Michiganders,” he said. “Slotkin is simply a self-serving politician that will say whatever it takes to get elected.”

The counsels urged the TV stations to consider their obligations to the public interest and providing reasonable access to candidates. 

“You are not required to provide Elissa Slotkin with absolute and unfettered access to your station’s airtime so she can sponsor ads containing false statements about her opponent,” they said. 

Slotkin campaign spokesperson Antoine Givens said Rogers is “desperate to cover up his record of enriching himself while Michigan families pay the price.”

“But facts are facts: Rogers left Congress, increased his net worth by 2000 percent, and moved to a waterfront mansion in Florida,” Givens said. “He walked through the revolving door to make millions from corporate gigs — including his work for companies with ties to China and Saudi Arabia.”

Past reporting has revealed Rogers working for companies with ties to Saudi Arabia and China. This includes Rogers’s work for AT&T, which had done work with Huawei and ZTE.

The Hill has reached out for comment from the stations that were sent the letters.

Rogers and Slotkin formally became their party’s nominees Tuesday, following the state’s primaries. The race is expected to be one of the most hotly contested this year and to help determine which party wins control of the Senate in November.

Updated at 3:02 p.m. EDT