Residents of a small Michigan town have orchestrated a recall election, resulting in the ousting of the entire local government in response to their support for the construction of an electric vehicle (EV) plant linked to the Chinese Communist Party.
Green Charter Township witnessed the removal of its five incumbent board members in a special election on Tuesday, replaced by five new candidates. The swift action by the new leaders included changing the locks on the township’s main government building shortly after the vote.
The community, with a population of 3,219, leans Republican, as reflected in the surrounding county’s 22-percentage-point margin in favor of President Donald Trump during the 2020 presidential election.
The recall petition accused town officials of disregarding voter concerns about Gotion, a China-linked company planning to establish a $2.3 billion EV plant in the town. Despite having backing from Volkswagen, Gotion’s parent company is based in China and has ties to the country’s ruling Communist Party.
Following the election, the displaced incumbents swiftly gathered their belongings and vacated the premises, as reported live by NewsNation’s Brian Entin from the now-empty government building on Wednesday.
“This is something Americans all across the country almost fantasize about, booting out their local government if they don’t like them and they’re not getting the job done,” he told Elizabeth Vargas Reports.
In unseating Green Charter’s town board, the voters also conveyed a message to President Joe Biden, who has been actively promoting electric vehicle (EV) plants and green initiatives as crucial to his economic agenda, facing criticism for its lackluster performance. The increasing global dominance of China in the advanced batteries and green technology supply chain raises concerns about the impact of partnerships in this sector on U.S. interests.
Biden’s emphasis on EVs raises questions about the potential heavy reliance on imported components from China, posing a threat to jobs in the United States. Gotion’s plans for EV plants in Michigan and Illinois have attracted attention from congressional Republicans, urging a security review by the Treasury Department due to Gotion’s alleged ties to China’s Communist Party.
Public filings indicate that Gotion, based in Fremont, California, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Gotion High-Tech Co, Ltd, a multinational headquartered in Hefei, China. Gotion High-Tech’s articles of association, updated in 2022, mention the maintenance of a Chinese Communist Party unit tasked with implementing the Party’s guidelines within the company.
While the company has publicly denied allegiance to the Communist Party, recent moves in China have increased the CCP’s influence in Chinese firms, often requiring the establishment of a party unit as per legal requirements. Gotion emphasized its multinational status, rejecting political posturing, and reiterated its commitment to creating thousands of jobs in Michigan.
Local residents in Green Charter expressed concerns about the potential communist connections associated with Gotion’s planned plant.
“My family members fought communism, and you’re bringing it right here,” one unnamed voter told NewsNation.
Resident Corri Riebow, who has no experience in politics, ran for town clerk in the recall election, defeating incumbent Janet Clark.
“We just plan on making it as difficult as possible for them to continue their process,” Riebow said of the new board’s attitude toward Gotion.
“They don’t even have a site planned, they don’t have permits yet, so we’re not their friend,” she added.
Also ousted in the recall were Supervisor Jim Chapman, Treasurer Denise MacFarlane, and Trustees Roger E. Carroll and Dale Jernstadt.
In September, Republican Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and GOP representatives from Michigan and Illinois penned a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen regarding the CCP-linked company. The letter calls on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to scrutinize Gotion’s connections to China’s Communist Party.
Lawmakers argued that despite Germany’s Volkswagen AG being the largest single shareholder, holding approximately 30 percent of the parent company Gotion High-Tech, China maintained “effective control” through various individual shareholders. These shareholders, including the company’s founder Li Zhen and his son, were alleged members of CCP organizations.
The lawmakers further claimed that most of Gotion High-Tech’s other major shareholders were owned by entities linked to the Chinese government, and the company’s bylaws commit to implementing the significant strategic decisions of the party. They asserted that this should prompt a review, and if necessary, Gotion High-Tech’s divestment, particularly since President Biden has identified electric vehicles and batteries as critical components of transportation infrastructure.
