Controversial Republican political consultant John Yob has recently purchased more northern Michigan radio stations in his far-flung bid to sway the upcoming 2018 Michigan elections for Congress and governor.

Yob has reportedly purchased WJLM-AM, a news-talk station which broadcasts in the Traverse City and Petoskey areas, plus a second Up North radio station, WWMN-AM. Those radio outlets could have a significant impact on the election fate of a Yob client, freshman Republican Congressman Jack Bergman.

When Yob’s initial purchase of two other northern Michigan talk-radio stations were exposed by the press last year, the response was that his highly partisan ownership raised a “minefield of potential broadcast and campaign-finance law concerns.”

Yob, the CEO of Strategic National in Grand Rapids and other Republican consulting firms, is also the owner of Mitten News and a questionable conservative website that in the past has boosted his clients’ candidacies.

Yob’s clients have included Gov. Rick Snyder, 2018 congressional candidate Lena Epstein and Lt. Gov. Brian Calley’s ongoing gubernatorial effort, including Calley’s spectacular failure when initially backing an unsuccessful ballot proposal calling  for a part-time Legislature.

At a time when the right-wing TV/radio Sinclair Broadcasting Network has come under intense, nationwide criticism for presenting a slanted, pro-Trump narrative, it seems that Yob may be trying to establish a similar Michigan version of the Sinclair approach.

Yob is the son of Michigan GOP icon Chuck Yob, who has worked for decades to influence state Republican candidate and party politics. Meanwhile, son John Yob has become the subject of a wide array of ethical questions over the past few years as he tries to steer Michigan GOP politics.

You can see examples of John Yob’s recent political activities here

and here 

and here.