By Brandon Hall
(Email him at WestMiPolitics@Gmail.com
A WMP investigation reveals Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof operates a shady-and possibly illegal- 501(c)(4) as part of a complex and questionable money laundering scheme designed to line his pockets.
The 501(c)(4) is called the "West Michigan Community Preservation Fund," but the only thing the group seems to be preserving is Arlan's pocketbook, helping the Senate Majority leader profit over $100,000 since 2014...
To start...
According to the Michigan Campaign Finance Network:
"Meekhof raises money through a candidate committee, Meekhof for State Senate, three leadership PACs, an administrative account and a nonprofit called the West Michigan Community Preservation Fund. The leadership PACs are Moving Michigan Forward, Moving Michigan Forward II and Meekhof Senate PAC. The nonprofit doesn't disclose its donors so those contributions are not included on this list."
Meekhof is also closely tied with the 616 PAC, and other PACs/organizations not mentioned in this report...
One elections expert spoke to WMP anonymously.
"Michigan politicians are gradually migrating from Michigan regulated financing entities to much less obtrusive IRS Chapter 527 entities," the expert said. "This allows them to hustle up contributions and make expenditures with little notice from the public or the press. Arlan Meekhof is at the vanguard of this migration and has quite convoluted finances."
The expert believes Meekhof may have violated the law.
"The West Michigan Community Preservation Fund is an IRS 501(c)(4) tax exempt entity which he uses to launder money. These 501(c)(4) entities have only a limited ability to engage in politics under IRS rules and Meekhof has clearly breached those IRS rules.
A 501(c)(4) organization may directly or indirectly support or oppose a candidate for public office as long as such activities are not a substantial amount of its activities. Look at how much money West Michigan Community Preservation Fund is dumping into his political funds."
>>>Meekhof is using the West Michigan Community Preservation Fund along with his "Meekhof Administrative Account" to pay himself large amounts of money.
According to IRS
documents, Meekhof has pocketed over $100,000 for himself in the last 2 and a half years... $60,000 was funneled in during that time by West Michigan Community Preservation Fund, the 501(C)(4) with the secret donors...
A WMP analysis shows Meekhof pocketed:
$13,178 from April 1st of 2016 until July 1, 2016.
-$16,401 from January 1-April 1, 2016
-$21,221 from July 1 2015-December 31, 2015
-$24,787 from January 1 2015- June 30, 2015
-In 2014, he pocketed over $30,000....
The money is allegedly for things like food, mileage reimbursement, and travel costs...
Over $100,000, all while also likely bilking state taxpayers for similar costs through his expense account, which is largely shielded from public view because of laws designed to protect corrupt Lansing elites like Arlan....
But wait, there's more! The President of the "West Michigan Community Preservation Fund" just happens to be... Meekhof's Chief of Staff, Bob DeVries!
DeVries just happened to use the Meekhof Administrative Account referenced above to pay himself nearly $8,000 over the same period Meekhof pocketed over $100,000... His cousin Jason also received money, nearly $1,000...
>>>Below, View EVERY Check Meekhof Received:
__________________________________________________________________
Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.
>>>Email him at WestMiPolitics@Gmail.com
Facebook
Twitter
 |
| Photo By Darlene Dowling Thompson |
