By-Brandon Hall
(Email West MIPolitics@Gmail.com)
(Email West MIPolitics@Gmail.com)
>>>Breaking: BOMBSHELL Docs Show Shady Meekhof "Non-Profit" Lied To The State, Claimed To Help Poor People With Medical Needs While Arlan Cashed In
They left out the part about him blatantly lying saying he was giving money to those with medical needs, and also left out $25k in donations, but it's a great first step...
According to a fantastic article that was the result of a joint investigation between Emily Lawler of MLive and Craig Mauger of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network:
"Exactly 100 days after the state Senate signed off on millions of dollars in tax breaks for data centers, the company seeking the change gave $10,000 to an account that helps pay Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof's expenses.
It is illegal for a corporation to give directly to a candidate's campaign account in Michigan. But the $10,000 contribution from Switch, a Nevada-based company planning to open a data center in West Michigan, falls into a difficult-to-trace and rarely discussed form of legal fundraising where many donations don't have to be disclosed...
The money from Switch went to the Meekhof Administrative Account, known as a 527 account, which covers office-related expenses, such as travel or conference fees. Meekhof, R-West Olive, declined to comment on the donation...
The Meekhof Administrative Account raised more than $25,000, a threshold that requires these types of accounts to report donors and expenditures to the Internal Revenue Service. But many lawmakers who benefit from smaller 527 accounts or nonprofits do not have to disclose donations.
Meekhof is connected to both a nonprofit, the West Michigan Community Preservation Fund, and a 527 administrative account, the Meekhof Administrative Account.
The administrative account brings in enough money it has to disclose both donors and expenditures to the IRS. The nonprofit West Michigan Community Preservation Fund doesn't have to disclose specific donors but public records available through the IRS show it raised $273,350 between 2013-2015.
The nonprofit fund, which was directed in 2014 by Bob DeVries, Ellen Kletzka, Steve Linder and Penny Blair, according to the most recent IRS documents — declined to voluntarily disclose donors to for this investigation. Linder and Kletzka work for the Sterling Corporation, a Republican communications firm; while Blair works in constituent relations for the Senate and DeVries serves as Meekhof's chief of staff .
In two years, the Meekhof Administrative has reimbursed Meekhof $80,315 for meals, travel, telephone costs and parking, according to filings which are publicly available on the IRS website.
"I do attend some conferences that are helpful in leadership things. I plan to continue to do those things because the public asks me to make good decisions," Meekhof said. "I want to be able to see all the best stuff that's out there right now and how problems are being solved."
According to a fantastic article that was the result of a joint investigation between Emily Lawler of MLive and Craig Mauger of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network:
"Exactly 100 days after the state Senate signed off on millions of dollars in tax breaks for data centers, the company seeking the change gave $10,000 to an account that helps pay Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof's expenses.
It is illegal for a corporation to give directly to a candidate's campaign account in Michigan. But the $10,000 contribution from Switch, a Nevada-based company planning to open a data center in West Michigan, falls into a difficult-to-trace and rarely discussed form of legal fundraising where many donations don't have to be disclosed...
The money from Switch went to the Meekhof Administrative Account, known as a 527 account, which covers office-related expenses, such as travel or conference fees. Meekhof, R-West Olive, declined to comment on the donation...
The Meekhof Administrative Account raised more than $25,000, a threshold that requires these types of accounts to report donors and expenditures to the Internal Revenue Service. But many lawmakers who benefit from smaller 527 accounts or nonprofits do not have to disclose donations.
Meekhof is connected to both a nonprofit, the West Michigan Community Preservation Fund, and a 527 administrative account, the Meekhof Administrative Account.
The administrative account brings in enough money it has to disclose both donors and expenditures to the IRS. The nonprofit West Michigan Community Preservation Fund doesn't have to disclose specific donors but public records available through the IRS show it raised $273,350 between 2013-2015.
The nonprofit fund, which was directed in 2014 by Bob DeVries, Ellen Kletzka, Steve Linder and Penny Blair, according to the most recent IRS documents — declined to voluntarily disclose donors to for this investigation. Linder and Kletzka work for the Sterling Corporation, a Republican communications firm; while Blair works in constituent relations for the Senate and DeVries serves as Meekhof's chief of staff .
In two years, the Meekhof Administrative has reimbursed Meekhof $80,315 for meals, travel, telephone costs and parking, according to filings which are publicly available on the IRS website.
"I do attend some conferences that are helpful in leadership things. I plan to continue to do those things because the public asks me to make good decisions," Meekhof said. "I want to be able to see all the best stuff that's out there right now and how problems are being solved."
estelle@mail.postmanllc.net
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ReplyDeleteThat’s a brilliant story you posted. I will come back to read some more