Benson questions Meijer contribution to SoS opponent Johnson

LANSING — Democratic nominee for Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is raising concerns about GOP opponent Ruth Johnon’s fundraising after Johnson received a large donation from Meijer, the corporation that was hit with the largest fine ever given in the state of Michigan for election law violations.

According to campaign finance reports filed with the Secretary of State’s office Sept. 15, shortly after the GOP convention, where the Oakland County Clerk bested four other Republican hopefuls, Johnson accepted a $10,000 donation from Meijer PAC.

Those documents also reveal Johnson has given her own campaign over $354,000 while the Michigan Republican Party has given the candidate just slightly over $61,000. The Michigan Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee gave Johnson’s campaign $33,000.

Benson says taking the donation from Meijer, which was fined $190,000 in 2008 by current Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land for violating Michigan’s campaign finance laws, raises questions about the job Johnson will do enforcing those very laws.

“Whose side will she be on?” Benson asked in a one on one interview with Michigan Messenger Wednesday.

Meijer has been under intense scrutiny since 2005 when it provided $46,000 to a ballot issue in Acme, Michigan. The small northwest Michigan community was in a debate about whether or not to allow Meijer, a chain store offering groceries and other items, to build and open a new store.

In 2007, Meijer surreptitiously spent $55,000 on recall campaigns for those Acme Township officials who had voted against Meijer’s proposed project, according to Land’s findings in the case. Those local officials then filed a civil suit against Meijer and the case went all the way to the Michigan Supreme Court, which ruled that the lawsuit could go forward. The two sides eventually settled, with Meijer paying $1.5 million to the township officials

Benson said that her travels to the region have invariably resulted in at least one conversation about the Acme-Meijer case.

“I think Meijer violated the law,” Benson said. “There should be a criminal investigation. The Secretary of State must lead the way.”

But issuing such charges following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United, which determined that corporations can make donations as those are protected First Amendment rights, may never come. The issue is currently being litigated in the Michigan courts by Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Alan Schneider, who has long wanted to bring criminal charges against Meijer in the case.

“[The Court] clearly recognized that corruption is still and must be a compelling state interest,” Benson said.

Calls to the Johnson campaign were not returned.

Meredith McGehee, policy director for the Washington D.C. based Campaign Legal Center, says the questions being raised by Benson reflect the “inherent conflict” of current campaign financing.

“It clearly creates a perception issue,” McGehee said. “The reality is that it’s built into the system. Ultimately, it’s up to the candidate to decide.”

And the voters, of course.