The Detroit Free Press published this story on July 15, about the petition to qualify the Tea Party for the Michigan ballot.  Much of the story is not new.  However, the story contains an allegation by a veteran petition manager that the drive to collect 38,024 valid signatures cost $120,000.  The petition bears 59,000 signatures.

Also, the story contains an allegation that the group that handled the petition drive has ties to the United Auto Workers Union.  As had been reported before, the people who organized the petition drive have generally hid their contact information, and refuse to talk to the press.  As is true for all petitions to create new parties in Michigan, the petition does not contain the name of any candidates.  August 3 is deadline for the party (and for any ballot-qualified Michigan minor party) to announce the names of its nominees.