Service union pays fine for campaign violation

LANSING (AP) -- Michigan's secretary of state says the Service Employees International Union will pay $205,000 in penalties in a deal to settle campaign spending law violations during a failed ballot issue campaign. Ruth Johnson announced the agreement Monday. She says the union agreed to pay $199,000, on top of about $6,000 in late filing fees. Johnson says the penalties are for the union's actions during a 2012 campaign to amend the Michigan Constitution to add provisions affecting home health care workers. The secretary of state says that backers of the amendment commingled funds, missed campaign finance reporting deadlines, failed to identify accounts and failed to submit complete or accurate campaign statements. Published: Wed, Mar 12, 2014