Mich. sec. of state fines Meijer for campaign law violations

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) - Retail giant Meijer Inc. has been fined more than $190,000 for campaign law violations in its effort to build a superstore in Grand Traverse County's Acme Township.

Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land announced the fine Tuesday.

She describes it as the maximum civil penalty that could be imposed in the case and the largest fine ever levied by her department for violations of the Michigan Campaign Finance Act.

Land says an investigation found Meijer made a series of unreported expenditures in campaigns to defeat an Acme Township superstore moratorium in 2005 and to recall the township board in 2007.

Acme Township is located in the northwest corner of the Lower Peninsula near Traverse City.