Complaint filed against former Meijer lawyer

By Douglas Levy Dolan Media Newswires Timothy Stoepker, the Grand Rapids-based former attorney for Meijer Corp., is facing a formal complaint contending he lied under oath about the big box retailer's role in an Acme Township election and referendum. The Traverse City Record-Eagle is reporting that the Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission's complaint claims Stoepker was not truthful when asked during a 2007 deposition about his knowledge of Meijer's political activities in Acme. The AGC said that Stoepker provided legal representation from 2005-07 to Meijer for a local referendum vote and a recall election in Acme Township. Stoepker also contracted with a local public relations firm to provide services regarding the attempted recall of local officials. The Record-Eagle reports that Stoepker, when asked about Meijer's work to impact local elections, said "I have no knowledge," twice during the deposition. But the ACG's complaint claims Stoepker did know about Meijer's political work in Acme. "We are alleging that (his testimony) was not true or (was) misleading," Robert Edick, deputy administrator for the attorney grievance commission, told the Record-Eagle. "It violates the rules of professional conduct." Attorney Matthew Abel of Detroit said he filed the complaint against Stoepker with the AGC nearly five years ago because "this seemed to me to be a substantial violation." Meijer acknowledged in 2008 it violated state law when it secretly spent more than $100,000 on lawyers and a public relations firm to fight a 2005 township referendum, and to support a 2007 effort to recall the township board because of board members' opposition to the store being built off M-72. Meijer admitted secret financing to oust the foes of the new development, and settled with the group Concerned Citizens of Acme Township--made up of Acme planning commissioners and township trustees--for $1.5 million. Published: Mon, Mar 25, 2013