RECKLESS: Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof's PAC Fined $2k For Legal Violation, Failed To Disclose Big Money Donors

Sen. Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof

By Brandon Hall
(Email him at WestMiPolitics@Gmail.com)

The primary Political Action Committee for Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, Moving Michigan Forward, recently forked out $2,000 after Secretary of State Ruth Johnson's office imposed a fine for Meekhof's absurdly late disclosure of high-end donors.

Bob DeVries (Twitter)

The $2,000 fine is a pretty big fine-most penalties range from $25 to $250. This was almost 10 times that...

Meekhof's PAC was 87 days late in filing required information about multiple big money donors, including BCBS, DTE Energy, and Dow Chemical.

Interestingly, Meekhof's Chief of Staff Bob DeVries also handles the record keeping for Meekhof's group, which had to be sent multiple notices in order to pay up despite being one of the state's top PAC's, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars since its foundation. 

 (Of note: Meekhof also has two other PAC's in addition to his regular State Senate candidate committee-Moving Michigan Forward II, and Arlan Meekhof State Senate. He also uses at least one PAC, the 616 PAC, as a cover when needed. A WMP investigation revealed Meekhof, along with Joe Haveman, used the 616 PAC to fund a hit-mailer against Geoff Haveman in last year's heated 90th District Primary. They are immensely close to now State Rep. Daniela Garcia.)





>>>Thousands in fines is nothing new for Senate Majority Leader Meekhof.



CHECK OUT this excerpt from Gongwer last summer. 

Gongwer, after an initial WMP report, figured out Meekhof was fined over $5,000 during his 2010 State Senate campaign against New Holland Brewing Co. owner Brett VanderKamp:

"Senate Majority Floor Leader Arlan Meekhof unloaded on a Republican candidate for the House in his home county earlier this week, forcefully taking sides in what is one of the key GOP primaries to be decided next week.

Mr. Meekhof (R-West Olive) blasted Geoff Haveman of Hudsonville, one of the two leading candidates for the Republican nomination in the 90th House District. Mr. Meekhof has endorsed Daniela Garcia of Holland in that race to succeed term limited Rep. Joe Haveman (R-Holland), who is a distant relative of Geoff Haveman and who has also endorsed Ms. Garcia.

Haveman

In the race, virtually every establishment Republican group has endorsed Ms. Garcia. Tea party forces are supporting Mr. Haveman."

Ms. Garcia submitted her report on time. However, she paid a $30 fee to the Department of State earlier this year after submitting her statement of organization papers three days late. In 2011, Mr. Meekhof had to pay $5,350 in fees to the department for failing to submit late contribution reports on contributions he received just prior to the 2010 election."

>>>BREAKING: Gongwer Picks Up WMP Article, Reveals Meekhof Was Fined Over $5,000

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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 

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Photo By Darlene Dowling Thompson