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Dems. claim Engler violated Campaign Finance Act

With presidential primaries in the Midwest having come and gone, Michigan party officials are now narrowing in on concerns for the local races in November's general election.

Democratic Party officials have zeroed in on the fund-raising actions of Gov. John Engler and the Michigan Republican State Committee, making allegations that the governor acted improperly.

State Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer filed a complaint with the Secretary of State's office March 28, charging Engler with a violation of the Michigan Campaign Finance Act.

Brewer's allegations emerged after the governor sent a letter to Republican voters in early March on Republican Party stationery, urging them to donate money to state campaigns, with the most generous donors guaranteed a personal reception in the governor's Mackinac Island residence.

"We think a violation of the law is very clear," Brewer said yesterday.

The letter encouraged supporters to vote for more Republican officials, such as Sen. Spencer Abraham (R-Auburn Hills), and went on to itemize the benefits of donating different amounts of money.

"Donors of $15,000 become members of Team Michigan for one year only, with a $25,000 annual commitment after that," the March 12 letter stated. "Team Michigan members receive ... tickets to all Republican Party events and a private briefing at the Governor's Mackinac Island residence."

"He violated the law when he authorized the property for this use and on top of that he signed the letter," Brewer asserted.

Engler spokesperson John Truscott disagreed. "There is no violation," he said. "We're certainly not concerned with invalid speculations."

"The law doesn't speak to any use of state property, like the governor's house," Truscott said, adding that the law was intended to prevent the use of school buildings to run election campaigns.

Engler signed the Michigan Campaign Finance Act into law in January. A purposeful violation of the law is classified as a felony, punishable by up to $2 million in fines and/or one year in prison.

Bill Ballenger, publisher of the Lansing-based journal Inside Michigan Politics, said Engler is in no danger from the allegations.

"If someone kicks up a ruckus, a person can always back away from it," Ballenger said. "It's not like he's been caught with his hand in the cookie jar."

Truscott said the election year brings on "baseless" claims like Brewer's. "You're going to get a lot of these empty charges until the election."

The use of the governor's summer home, which Truscott said is routine during the year, would not be unusual for the political scene. The Democratic National Committee recently sent out a mailing that promised a visit to the White House for contributors of $100,000.

Liz Boyd, communications director for Secretary of State Candace Miller, said the state will deal with the allegations seriously.

In a statement Friday, Brewer said Miller is stalling the issue by not making a decision.

"To suggest we are playing politics with this is ludicrous," Boyd said. "It is our intention to follow this up in a very timely manner."