SHOWDOWN: SOS Rebukes Huizenga, Gives April 14th Deadline To Address Campaign Finance Issues

Rep. Huizenga at GVSU (Photo via the GV Lanthorn)

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

Rep. Bill Huizenga, who has recently attempted to address a series of campaign finance controversies, continues to face scrutiny over problems with his PAC's campaign finance reports.

As a result, he faces an April 14th deadline to provide the information requested by Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson's office.

(It's been a rough few weeks for Huizenga, who, in addition to this controversy, has been blasted for inappropriate rule violations on the House floor with Aaron Schock, and for a secret trip to Japan paid for by a shady group with ties to a mass forced sterilization scandal involving hundreds of thousands of young girls in Peru.)

>>>After a WMP investigation and complaint filed with the Secretary of State's office revealed a series of problems with the Congressman's "Huizenga House Fund" from his time as a State Rep., Huizenga met with SOS officials and subsequently provided some of the information he failed to disclose in 14 reports from 2004-2009.

The Secretary of State then responded, saying they needed a signed affidavit from Huizenga that $14,000 in contributions Huizenga failed to report was an honest oversight. They also requested more information on donations to State Rep. Holly Hughes, believing Huizenga may have donated too much to her.

Huizenga signed the affidavit March 30th.



However, issues still remain with the donations to Hughes.

Huizenga wrote a letter March 17th attempting to clarify the problems, blaming them on the MERTS Software the SOS office uses for reporting..




On March 30th, Huizenga's district director Greg VanWoerkom emailed the Secretary of State's office to make sure everything was ok, offering to have a meeting if needed.

The Secretary of State responded, saying it's a reporting issue, so Huizenga needs to stop blaming MERTS Software, and that he has still not adequately accounted for $900 in donations to Holly Hughes. Huizenga may have exceeded contribution limits, a violation of Michigan law.

A deadline of April 14th has been set for Huizenga and VanWoerkom to address the problem.



Stay tuned...Read more about this issue below:

 Detroit News: Huizenga's PAC asked to explain funding errors

Holland Sentinel: U.S. Rep. Huizenga clearing up campaign discrepancies — from 2008

WMP: Developing: Rep. Huizenga Responds To Campaign Finance Controversies After Meeting With Secretary of State Officials

Complaint Filed With SOS

WMP: Breaking: Rep. Huizenga's Super Shady State House Finance Issues Remain Unresolved 10 Years Later

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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