Comes after MDP filed a campaign finance complaint and urged stations to either remove the ads or stop charging the candidate rate
LANSING — The Michigan Republican Party is continuing its illegal coordination scheme and violating the Michigan Campaign Finance Act, now with Republican attorney general candidate Doug Lloyd.
MRP and the Lloyd campaign have jointly placed nearly a million dollars in television advertisements for the remaining days of the race. The scheme is a violation of the contribution limits applicable to a state-level candidate by a state political party and constitutes illegal coordination on TV advertising communication.
The illegal coordination between MRP and the Lloyd campaign comes as the MRP and John James’ campaign have spent $5.3 million in recent days—with millions of dollars flowing from the DeVos family and Elon Musk. On Friday, the Michigan Democratic Party filed a campaign finance campaign, and on Monday, MDP sent letters to stations across the state urging either the removal of the illegally-coordinated ads or that they not be charged the lower candidate rate.
The Michigan Republican Party could face astronomical fines for this illegal scheme—with MCL 169.215(11) providing that a person in violation of the MCFA may be subject to “pay a civil fine not more than triple the amount of the improper contribution or expenditure plus not more than $1,000 for each violation.” With at least $6 million spent so far, a potential fine could reach nearly $20 million, and potentially much more.
In response, Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel released the following statement:
“Billionaires like the DeVos family and Elon Musk are trying to buy the governor and attorney general races through a desperate and illegal scheme that circumvents Michigan’s Campaign Finance Act. The fact someone who is running to be Michigan’s top prosecutor would openly violate Michigan law is unconscionable, and it’s evident that Jim Runestad, John James, and Doug Lloyd are willing to bankrupt the Michigan Republican Party in the future in order to try and buy these races today. We maintain that TV stations across the state must either stop airing these ads or cease providing the lower candidate rate.
“The Michigan Democratic Party will continue to vigorously fight this illegal scheme, and we hope that the Michigan Republican Party faces an applicable fine in the future that holds them accountable. Michigan voters can make their voices heard against this illegal scheme by rejecting John James and Doug Lloyd at the ballot box on or before Tuesday.”
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