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Witness calls Goshen EV battery deal "corrupted," committee highlights $23.6 million SSRP disbursement
Summary
Ambassador Joseph Sella testified that the Goshen EV battery project was marked by secrecy, insufficient due diligence and ties to Chinese entities, urging clawbacks and reimbursement for Green Charter Township. Committee members questioned MEDC transparency and the disposition of $23.6 million dispensed from the Strategic Site Readiness Program.
Ambassador Joseph Sella told the House Oversight Subcommittee on Corporate Subsidies and State Investments that the Goshen EV battery deal was “one of the worst examples of state driven economic development in the history of the state of Michigan,” blaming a lack of transparency and insufficient vetting for the project's failure.
Sella, testifying as a private citizen and former ambassador, said the project was backed by state officials and economic development partners and alleged ties between the company behind the U.S. operation and entities aligned with the Chinese Communist Party. He urged the committee to pursue recovery of state funds and to make Green Charter Township whole for legal expenses incurred fighting the project.
The committee focused on the disposition of state dollars. Chair Cara summarized that $125,000,000 in critical infrastructure project (CIP) funding was never appropriated to Goshen, while of a separate…
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