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    Who are the NERD fund donors Mr Snyder?

    Raise the curtain.

    RM Original: Investigation into major Schauer campaign finance violations progressing... slowly...


    By Nick, Section News
    Posted on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 11:41:13 AM EST
    Tags: (all tags)

    With the November election now less than seven months away an extensive Secretary of state investigation into serious campaign finance violations committed by more than a dozen Democratic candidates for the state Senate two years ago may finally be seeing some movement, but not much--  A situation that's creating a king sized grey area in campaign finance law.

    An investigation into the campaign year 2006 violations that started last December inched closer to a resolution as the Secretary of state's office formally settled with a handful of Democrat Senate campaigns this past March.  Inquiries into hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal campaign cash continue to revolve around others including, most prominently, that of Senate Minority Leader Mark Schauer, though getting that much information from the Republican Secretary of state's office was quite an adventure.

    Late last year word started leaking out of Lansing about a series of major campaign finance violations committed by a boat-load of Democrat candidates for the Michigan Senate during the 2006 campaign.  Complaints against Mike Prusi, Gretchen Whimer, Mark Slavens, Mickey Switalski and Liz Brater have now been settled.  Schauer and several failed Senate candidates remain under investigation.  

    The complaints centered around illegal contributions by individual campaign committees into a larger Senate Democratic Campaign Committee which was overseen and chaired by Senate Minority Leader Mark Schauer.  (His Chief of Staff, Ken Brock, was the Treasurer.)

    The scheme worked something like this...

    Read on...

    Candidate Schauer decided to go ahead and raise a bunch of illegal campaign cash for the SDCC. He received illegal funds from Democrats including Carl Williams, Alexander Lipsey, Bob Schockman, Gretchen Whitmer, Mickey Switalski, Buzz Thomas, Liz Brater, Mike Prusi, Gilda Jacobs, Glenn Anderson and Mark Slavens and then pitched in $167,000 more than the $20,000 limit himself.

    Michigan campaign finance law limits the amount of money a candidate committee can give to another.  It limits the amount of money an individual can give to another.  But a committee like Schauer's?  They're able to spend their money much more liberally.  

    In other words, when Whitmer, Brater, Prusi, Schauer and the lot bumped up against donation limits they had to find some other way to pump their extra cash into the targeted races.  The SDCC became a big giant washing machine.  Insert money, detergent, rinse, repeat.

    And make no mistake, that's exactly what they did.  When you get right down to brass tacks, each of these campaigns laundered money through the SDCC into targeted state senate districts, effectively skirting campaign donation limits in violation of Michigan law.

    Problem was, they got caught with their hands in the cookie jar.  Each of the current state Senators accused of giving illegally demanded and received refunds from the Committee as soon as the press caught their scent.  Their cases were formally closed in March by the Secretary of state.  All of them... almost.  Mark Schauer refuses to pursue a legal remedy and remains under investigation.

    Which is fitting, since Schauer chaired the committee and made nearly half the total "contributions" personally.  The Battle Crek Enquirer reported in December:

    The fund raked in $440,000 above the legal limit of $20,000 per person - which the Dems don't deny. Twelve senatorial candidate committees did, with Schauer's as the worst offender at $187,000...

    For state races, this is a staggering chunk of change. The grievance is pretty cut and dried...

    All told Mark Schauer stands accused of twenty-two distinct campaign finance violations.  

    But that's all old news.  What's happened since?  Inquiries made to the secretary of state's office produced a series of e-mail and phone conversations consisting, essentially, of one long "no comment."  SoS spokeswoman Kelly Chesney says that the drawn out process is a matter of strict legality.  The office is required by law to take their time.

    "This campaign finance complaint you are referring to alleges violations involving 13 different parties," said Chesney via email.  "Decisions have been rendered on 6 parties.   When addressing campaign finance complaints, we have to follow a prescribed process outlined in law that allows the complainant and the alleged violator the opportunity to present themselves fully.  Further it requires the MDOS to offer conciliation.  This is not discretionary."

    The legal process she cites is the Michigan Campaign Finance Act, Act 388 of 1976, 169.215 section 15.  

    Which, by the way, is a big section of law that addresses a lot of things but doesn't discuss timelines.  Nor does it allow the reader to draw any conclusions as to why six investigations wrapped up quietly a month ago while seven remain open with little evident movement.  

    Asked specifically what the hold up seems to be Chesney offered, in total: "Again, 13 different parties were involved in this complaint."  Maybe they're understaffed and unable to handle the load?

    Speaking last year on Off the Record, a political affairs program based in Lansing, Attorney General Mike Cox told the media panel that his office stood ready to take over should the Secretary of state ask for his assistance.  With the investigations finally starting to produce some formal, legal results one might assume the decision on whether or not to bring in the State's top lawyer may not be far in the future.  But you know what they say about assumption.

    "The Campaign Finance Act requires us to attempt to resolve complaints informally, if we determine that there is reason to believe that a violation has occurred, before the matter can be referred to the AG," claims Chesney.  "We must follow the procedure outlined in the statute."

    Again, that'd be the Michigan Campaign Finance Act, Act 388 of 1976, 169.215 section 15.  

    Of course, the Minority Leader's supporters will be quick to claim that the lack of a resolution proves there's "nothing to" the allegations.  But that argument doesn't exactly hold water.  If there's nothing to them, or if they're no big deal why didn't Schauer settle with the SoS along with his colleagues?  Why hasn't the case against him been dismissed out of hand and taken off the books?  Instead the investigation is 'ongoing' and the complaints remain open.

    The message from the Secretary of state's office seems to be, in essence, 'we know Schauer probably broke the law, we know he probably committed as many as 22 violations of campaign finance law, we're just not going to do anything about it.'  

    Why the office is reluctant to pursue a resolution to one of the largest alleged campaign finance violations in the history of the state of Michigan is anyone's guess.  Where in the chain of command the decision was made to give Schauer a pass is also a matter of speculation.  

    The only thing that's clear at this point is the message Mark Schauer and the Secretary of state's Office are delivering to campaigns headed into the 2008 general election.  `Laundering money is cool kids.  Try it yourselves.'

    < Thug life, Godwin's Law, and the recall of Andy Dillon (Redux) | Here is some more... >


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    Could it be true... (none / 0) (#1)
    by maidintheus on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 01:47:15 PM EST
    ...that they could care less about people, economics, or anything else that would impact the average person in a positive way? Could it be true that they really just want to harbor predators?  The majority of these deviants are voting for "them." They hide behind and among the "special" people within that movement. Could it be that these Pink TV supporters are in agreement or too sissified to disagree? Could it be true the leaders of this mob don't really care about their "special" people either?  If I wanted to have power and control in exclusion to all else I would go after all those who have a strong and special self interest or need, and pray upon them.  This self interest will cause those (who have this self interest) to seek out those who purport to support them and who will not stand in the way of their selfish agenda. Ta da!  

    Excellent Story by Right Michigan (none / 0) (#2)
    by AChildsRight on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 03:25:56 PM EST
    Sad that the Secretary of State's Office is not going to do anything about this.  PERHAPS THE PEOPLE SHOULD DEMAND THIS FROM THE SOS?

    No surprise about Mark Schauer.  He also hates families and his voting record shows he LOVES big government.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QHZWxOYqRw http://www.daddy.typepad.com

    And so it goes. (none / 0) (#3)
    by LookingforReagan on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 03:41:04 PM EST
    Once againg we see a golden opportunity for Republicans to take down a corrupt Democrat that will more then likely continue to be a headache for them in the future. Yet the elected officials charged with that duty drag their feet and refuse to act. Are they afraid of making the Dems mad? This is just another example of the unwillingness to fight these people in an energetic fashion. Another example of letting an opportunity slip through their fingers while the knife at their throat is in their own hands. The Republican Party continues to try and commit suicide by their unwillingness to engage the enemy. Cowards all. If the Republicans don't have the stomach for it the time has come to organize a new party. Based on Conservative principles and willing to engage the Democrat Liberal Socialist America Hating Neo-Communists on the left. They must be defeated, or this conutry will fall under their lust for Power and willingness to sell out to the enemies of the United States. Why are Democrats corrupt and disdainful of the law? Because they know they are untouchible,they can violate the law because Republicans don't want to appear mean. FOOLS.

    Shhhh til Fall (none / 0) (#4)
    by promediate on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 07:30:25 PM EST
    Mark Schauer will be going after the U.S. Congressional seat held by Republican Tim Walgerg. Maybe the game is to put off bad press til after the Fall elections. The MEA has a lot invested in Schauer...

    Michigan Democrats = Crooks (none / 0) (#5)
    by Victor Laszlo on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 08:41:08 PM EST
    The Michigan Democrats are a bunch of crooks.  This is the result of Democrats believing that they are above the law and that the ends justify their crooked means.  You have to ask yourself:  would you trust a Michigan Democrat to administrate your estate/trust for the benefit of your children if you passed away???  The answer is no since the Michigan Democrat in charge of such funds would rob the estate/trust for his/her own personal use.

    If only the electors were more intelligent (none / 0) (#6)
    by Shepherd on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 08:55:47 PM EST
    I prefer to only to elect representatives who were and are succesful in other area of life. That is other than politics. All there advertisement campaigns and get out the votes dont affect me indivdually. Its unfortunate But when every one has a right to vote we have a problem. If a commercial can pursuade you, do us all a favor, Dont vote find something else to do.


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