| New reporting from the Detroit Metro Times finds that Bill Huizenga’s campaign paid more than $400,000 to an LLC owned by his brother, Jim Barry — who simultaneously was employed as a real estate agent selling luxury condos for Huizenga and his wife’s real estate business.
The report notes the “extensive financial ties between Huizenga, his campaign, and [his brother] Barry, who has also played a central role in a private real estate business connected to the congressman.”
Bill and Natalie Huizenga co-own the Cottages at Riverbend, a luxury condo business. Since 2014, Barry has been employed as a realtor and broker – as well as serving as treasurer and registered agent for Cottages at Riverbend, where he “marketed and sold several of the condos through his real estate work.”
And at the same time, Huizenga’s campaign was funneling a total of more than $400,000 to Barry’s business, JB America LLC.
NOTABLE: Reporting finds that “no other federal or state campaign [paid] JB America for campaign services,” just Bill Huizenga.
DCCC Spokesperson Katie Smith:
“Bill Huizenga funneled hundreds of thousands in campaign cash to his brother, all while his brother was selling luxury condos on behalf of Huizenga’s family business. This kind of inside dealing is exactly what’s wrong with politicians like Huizenga, and Southwest Michigan has had enough of him using his office to benefit himself and his family.”
Read more:
Detroit Metro Times: Huizenga’s campaign paid his brother’s business $400,000 as he sold the congressman’s condos
- Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga’s campaign has paid more than $400,000 to a company owned by his brother, who has simultaneously worked as a full-time real estate agent and helped sell luxury condos owned by Huizenga and his wife, a Metro Times review of campaign finance filings, corporate records, property records, and other public documents found.
- From 2013 through 2025, Huizenga for Congress paid JB America LLC, a company owned by his half-brother James “Jim” Barry, at least $400,714 for campaign management, consulting, strategy work, and reimbursements.
- He has also worked full time since 2014 as an associate broker and Realtor with Coldwell Banker Woodland Schmidt in Holland.
- From July 2014 through March 2018, the campaign paid the company another $123,000 for campaign consulting. Between April 2018 and December 2025, it paid $222,267 for “strategy consulting.”
- Federal and Michigan campaign finance records reviewed for the research showed no other federal or state campaign paying JB America for campaign services.
- …the arrangement illustrates the extensive financial ties between Huizenga, his campaign, and Barry, who has also played a central role in a private real estate business connected to the congressman.
- Huizenga and his wife, Natalie, co-own the Cottages at Riverbend Inc., a real estate company formed in 2015 to own, manage, and develop property. Huizenga reported holding a 75% interest in the business, which developed a 24-unit luxury condominium community in Zeeland.
- Corporate filings listed Natalie Huizenga as the company’s president and secretary, while Barry served as treasurer and registered agent.
- Barry also marketed and sold several of the condos through his real estate work. Videos posted to his real estate YouTube channel featured him promoting properties at the Cottages at Riverbend that were later sold by the company for prices ranging from about $300,000 to $435,000.
- In one 2017 video, Barry said he was “involved in the Cottages at Riverbend in Zeeland.”
- Among the properties Barry promoted was a three-bedroom condo on 104th Avenue that sold for $435,000 in 2023. He also promoted condos that later sold for $429,900, $359,000, $330,000, $317,000, and other amounts, according to property records.
- Huizenga has separately reported receiving income from his work for the Cottages at Riverbend. His financial disclosures show he earned a $15,000 management fee in 2018 and another $79,000 in consulting fees from 2019 through 2023.
- The campaign’s payments to Barry and other members of Huizenga’s family previously attracted an FEC complaint.
- After the complaint was filed, Huizenga’s campaign continued reimbursing Barry for travel and mileage. From November 2018 through September 2024, Barry personally received another $7,403 in reimbursements, records show.
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