Build a Better Michigan
will have to pay a $37,500
fine
after
Secretary
of
State
Jocelyn
Benson
determined
Friday
that
the nonprofit organization
violated
campaign
laws
with advertisements run in
support of Gov. Gretchen
Whitmer.
Build a Better Michigan
was formed by Whitmer
allies,
and
spent
more
than
$2.4
million
in
the
2018
election.
The
group ran a series of ads
they described as “issue
advocacy,” exempting them
from the Michigan Finance
Campaign Act.
The
Michigan
Finance
Campaign
Act
requires
financial disclosures from
all groups. Political action
committees
that
support
a certain candidate must
also file reports with the
Michigan
Department
of
State.
However, because Build
a Better Michigan filed its
organization under Section
527 of the Internal Revenue
Code, it cannot advocate
directly for a candidate.
Since
they
are
not
independent
from
Whitmer’s campaign, there
are limits on how much
money
the
organization
could spend.
Benson said in a letter to
the
lawyers
representing
Build a Better Michigan and
Whitmer’s campaign that
two particular ads were the
main area of concern.
“I
conclude
that
the
phrase, ‘Gretchen Whitmer
| Candidate for Governor,’
constitutes
express
advocacy,” Benson wrote.
“… I view this interpretation
of the MCFA, as applied to
this specific set of facts,
as critical to promoting
greater transparency.”
The two ads showed
Whitmer
speaking
on
camera with the words
“Gretchen
Whitmer,
Candidate for Governor.”
The complaint filed by
the Michigan Republican
Party and a conservative
group claimed Build a
Better Michigan should
have
disclosed
their
direct
advocacy
for
Whitmer.
According
to
Colleen Pero, the chief
of staff for the Michigan
Republican
Party,
the
ads
advocated
for
Whitmer by identifying
her as a candidate for
governor and indicated
collaboration
between
Whitmer
and
Build
a
Better Michigan.
Benson said by doing so,
the group violated state
campaign finance law.
“The fact that BBM
obtained video and audio
of the candidate speaking
directly to the camera
from
a
predetermined
script
is
sufficient
to
indicate that coordination
occurred,” Benson wrote.
The fine will be paid
within
the
next
two
months.
GOP
spokesman
Tony Zammit said he was
unhappy and called the
entire
deal
“shameful.”
The Michigan GOP said
they thought Benson and
Whitmer had worked out a
deal for a smaller fine.
Benson’s
spokesman
Shawn Starkey told The
Detroit News Benson did
not believe the fine was on
the smaller scale and she
asked her staff to keep the
context of the case in mind
when deciding.
Public Policy junior Katie
Kelly,
communications
director for the University
of Michigan’s Chapter of
College
Democrats,
said
no party is above violating
campaign laws.
WINDING DOWN WITH WAFFLES
ON THE DAILY:
THIS WEEK IN HISTORY:
COMMUNITY REJOICES AFTER MANDELA’S RELEASE
While the 61st annual Grammy
Awards honored many prominent
celebrities, some notable Michiganders
also left the Grammy Awards victorious
on Sunday.
Michigan band Greta Van Fleet
won Best Rock Album for “From the
Fires,” despite being nominated in a
competitive field. The nominees for Best
Rock Album included heavyweights
Alice in Chains, Fall Out Boy and
Weezer. Members Josh Kiszka, Jake
Kiszka, Sam Kiszka and drummer
Danny Wagner formed the band in
Frankenmuth, Michigan in 2012.
A singer for Mack Avenue Records,
a record label based in Grosse Pointe
Farms, Mich., also won a Grammy.
Mack’s artist, Cecile McLorin Salvant,
won Best Jazz Vocal Album for “The
Window.” This is fitting, as Mack
Avenue Records specializes in jazz and
similar music and is a sponsor of the
Detroit Jazz Festival, to which Mack
Avenue Records founder Gretchen
Carhartt Valade donated $15 million
in 2006. While this is Greta Van Fleet’s
first Grammy award, Mack Avenue
Records has boasted previous awards
from its slate of recording artists,
including Stanley Clarke, Alfredo
Rodríguez,
Jimmy
Greene,
Kirk
Whalum and Christian McBride.
Other notable award recipients at
this year’s Grammy Awards include
Childish Gambino, who won record and
song of the year for “This is America,”
despite not attending the awards show;
Dua Lipa, who won Best New Artist;
and Kacey Musgraves, who won Album
of the Year for “Golden Hour.”
Feb. 12, 1990
Beating drums, singing songs,
and dancing arm in arm, members
of the Ann Arbor community
converged on the Diag last night
to celebrate yesterday’s release
of former South African political
prisoner Nelson Mandela.
“Our struggle has reached a
new level because our comrade
Nelson is finally free to walk
the streets in Africa,” shouted
Paquetta Palmer, a member
of the Free Southern Africa
steering committee and the
Washtenaw County Coalition
Against Apartheid. The two anti-
apartheid groups organized the
celebration along with the United
Coalition Against Racism.
Speakers
stressed
that
Mandela’s
release
was
the
result of the people’s struggle in
South Africa, and that the event
should not be looked upon as an
initiative for change by President
F.W. De Klerk and the national
government.
“When we look at the situation
in South Africa, we know the
government has been and will be
the enemy of the Blacks,” UCAR
steering committee member Pam
Nadasen told the crowd. “When
the De Klerk’s are replaced by
the Mandela’s in the presidential
palace, then we can celebrate
victory in South Africa.”
Another
UCAR
steering
committee
member,
Barbara
Ransby,
echoed
Nadasen
sentiment.
“We
don’t
come
here to praise the South African
government.”
2A — Wednesday, February 13, 2019
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
MICHAEL BAGAZINSKI/Daily
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Pierpont Commons Tuesday.
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Pro-Whitmer group fined $37.5k for
violating state campaign finance laws
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson penalizes Build a Better Michigan for ads
ZAYNA SYED
Daily Staff Reporter
ALYSSA MCMURTRY
Daily Staff Reporter
“We strive to
promote fair
campaigns and
elections and it is
disheartening to
see these kinds of
violations within
our own party.”
“Campaign
finance
violations are wrong no
matter
the
party
that
commits
them,”
Kelly
said. “As an organization,
we strive to promote fair
campaigns
and
elections
and it is disheartening to
see these kinds of violations
within our own party.”
The University’s chapter
of College Republicans did
not comment in time for
publication.
Build a Better Michigan
spokesman
Mark
Fisk
said
in
a
statement
he
was
disappointed
with
the decision, but accepted
Benson’s conclusion.
“Build a Better Michigan’s
advertising is part of a long
tradition of issue advocacy
used for years in Michigan
by both parties and we’re
proud to have played a
role promoting affordable
health
care,
improved
infrastructure
and
clean
water,” Fisk said. “While
we
respectfully
disagree
with
the
secretary
of
state’s determination and
settlement, we fully intend
to comply with her ruling
to put this matter behind us
and move forward.”
LSA
sophomore
Maeve Skelly worked on
Whitmer’s
campaign.
She said she agreed with
Benson’s decision, adding
she thought the fine was
overall a step in the right
direction
toward
better
communication
between
government officials and
the public.
“I think that this fine
was justified and I think
that Jocelyn Benson did
the right thing setting a
precedent for transparency
in
campaigns
going
forward and to make sure
the Michigan’s Campaign
Finance Law is upheld,”
Skelly said.
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