Other donors include the DeVos family and Ann Arbor real estate investment company
By David Eggert
Associated Press
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Republican U.S. Senate candidate Terri Lynn Land’s father was among Michigan residents who gave heavily last month to a conservative super PAC that has spent at least $4 million on TV ads against Democrat Gary Peters.
The Ending Spending Action Fund reported late Monday that it received $500,000 from Paul Land, a co-owner of Land and Co., the family’s business of apartment complexes located mostly in the Grand Rapids area. Other donations included $450,000 from the DeVos family and $1.1 million from McKinley Associates, an Ann Arbor real estate investment company founded by GOP fundraiser Ron Weiser.
No Michigan donors gave a significant amount to two super PACs that have run at least $5.3 million in TV ads against Land — billionaire San Francisco environmentalist Tom Steyer’s NextGen Climate Action Committee and the Senate Majority PAC, which has ties to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
It was not immediately clear if any Michigan residents donated much to two party committees dedicated to electing senators, because the committees were able to file paper reports before the Monday deadline.
Peters, a congressman from suburban Detroit, and Land, a former secretary of state, filed their latest fundraising and spending totals with the Federal Election Commission last week. Peters said then that he raised $2.3 million since July 1; Land on Tuesday said she raised $2.1 million, though it was not clear if that was from early July or later in the month. Neither campaign released their reports showing individual expenses, donations and how much money they had in the bank as of Sept. 30.
Land, who according to polls is trailing Peters, previously has given $2.9 million to her campaign.
Rich Robinson with the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, which tracks political spending, said it is legal for family members of candidates to contribute to outside groups that independently support their candidacy.
“This is not unprecedented for her. Federal rules are just evolving to look more like what Michigan state rules always looked like, with no limits,” he said.
Paul Land kicked in at least $540,000 to a political action committee to help his daughter’s 2002 secretary of state campaign, according to state records.
“Whether risking breaking the law to funnel millions to her campaign or having her father funnel even more of their wealth to special interest Super PACs, Terri Lynn Land proves once and for all that she thinks she’s above the rules and Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat is for sale,” Peters spokeswoman Haley Morris said in a statement.
Democrats have questioned Land about discrepancies regarding the source of money she gave her campaign. She amended her financial disclosure statement in July to fix what was described as an “administrative error” related to a joint checking account with her husband Dan Hibma, another partner in Land and Co.
A message seeking comment about Paul Land’s independent support was left with the Land campaign Tuesday. In releasing her latest fundraising totals, spokeswoman Heather Swift said Land had proven that Michigan families and workers support her and oppose Peters’ plan to push President Barack Obama’s “job-killing agenda.”
