After being reprimanded for violating House rules last month, East Lansing’s state representative now is in danger of being found guilty for violating campaign finance laws.
On Tuesday, Kim Jorns, the executive director of the Michigan Republican Party, filed a complaint against State Rep. Mark Meadows, D-East Lansing, for allegedly violating campaign finance laws — a more serious, legal offense than what Meadows was found to have violated before.
The complaint stems from an incident last month, when Meadows was found to have violated House rules for using government materials to endorse a candidate. In a newsletter sent via email through a government computer system, Meadows endorsed Susan Schmidt, his former chief of staff and a candidate for the 69th district seat. It is against House rules to use government materials for campaign purposes, according to officials from the House Business Office.
Meadows has maintained his actions were appropriate, even after he was reprimanded with a small fine and temporary loss of mailing privileges. Still, he stopped short of saying whether he thought the attempt was a politically driven ploy by Republicans.
“I still maintain that position I took (previously),” Meadows said. “My positions were then that I would not be likely found (to have) violated anything in campaign finance law.”
The Secretary of State’s office still is reviewing the complaint to see if it is legitimate enough to proceed, said Fred Woodhams, a spokesman for the Department of State.
“The department has received the complaint and hasn’t decided whether to move forward with that or not,” Woodhams said.
Violations of campaign rules can result in fines or agreements aimed to stop the behavior. If the violation is serious enough, the legislator can be referred to the attorney general’s office for prosecution, although such instances are rare, Woodhams said.
Also on Tuesday, Secretary of State Ruth Johnson unveiled an initiative that includes toughening campaign finance laws. Under the new provisions, certain finance violations would be felonies and the worst offenders could face having to forfeit their funds.
“The complaint was filed to make sure that Representative Meadows observes state law,” said Matt Davis, a spokesperson for the Michigan Republican Party. He did not acknowledge whether the timing was intentional.
The allegations add to an already-turbulent week for Meadows. On Monday, Ingham Country officials likely will approve a new recall petition that would put Meadows up for removal on the Feb. 28 Republican primary ballot, if enough signatures are gathered. The Secretary of State’s office also will decide next week if they plan to proceed with the campaign finance law violation.
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