Snyder campaign files complaints with Secretary of State over attack ads

The campaign of Ann Arbor businessman Rick Snyder has filed two complaints with the Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land and Attorney General Mike Cox alleging that groups behind a series of attack ads are violating Michigan’s Campaign Finance Law.

Snyder attorney Daniel Carlson filed the complaints Tuesday against Eagle Strategies and the Michigan Civic Education Fund. MCEF made headlines in February when it launched a series of billboard and internet advertisements attacking Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, who is also seeking the nomination for governor. Eagle Strategies made headlines when it ran a series of radio commercials on WJR radio targeting Congressman Pete Hoekstra (R-Holland) another GOP candidate for governor.

Now, Carlson and the Snyder camp are arguing the two organizations are in serious violation of the state’s campaign finance laws.

The complaint revolving around Eagle Strategies alleges that the organization violated campaign laws because its name was not a legal identification for Peace and Prosperity until Feb. 16. The group ran the radio commercials Feb. 9th through the 11th. That, Snyder’s camp says, is a violation of the law.

In fact, Snyder’s campaign argues that Eagle violated the law by not filing a statement of organization with the state within 10 days of spending $500 or more; identifying that the ad was sponsored by an organization which did not exist yet and by failing to identify that the ad was not authorized by any candidate.

In relation to MCEF violation, the Snyder camp alleges the group violated state law by not filing a statement of organization within 10 days of spending more than $500.

The Secretary of States office has acknowledged receipt of the complaints, and says it has five business days to decide what to do with them; such a decision could range from dismissing the complaints to launching a full fledged probe. If campaign laws are found to have been violated, those violations could be referred to Attorney General Mike Cox.

This sets up an interesting dynamic in that Cox is seeking the GOP nomination as well, and the Snyder camp is alleging the attack ads are being sponsored by his supporters. Cox would likely have a vested interest in seeing these complaints go away. Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land has been named as Mike Bouchard’s running mate, and she has a vested interest in seeing these complaints pursued. That sets the system up against itself.