Posted June 30, 2014
The campaign committee behind last fall’s food-labeling initiative must pay $4,000 fine for failing to report funds from other assisting groups until after the election was over, according to an article on the Herald Net by Jerry Cornfield available here. The News Tribune also published the article hereand TDN here.
The state Public Disclosure Commission issed the fine on the Yes on I-522 Committee for failure to disclose almost $118,000 of in-kind contributions by PCC Natural Markets, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, and Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps.
An investigation found that the majority of in-kind contributions involved $2,000 worth of free ice cream and $95,000 worth of ads endorsing the measure, which voters rejected.
On Thursday, commissioners approved the penalty as a part of a settlement negotiated with committee representatives.
Committee representatives said a clerical error led to the failure to report the in-kind contributions before the election.
“There was no attempt at concealment,” Jim Frush, an attorney for Yes on I-522, told commissioners. “We’re very apologetic for the oversight.”
Initiative 522 would have required genetically modified food labeling, but it lost by a margin of 51.1 to 48.9 percent.
Opposing sides spent approximately $20 million in the campaign. The Yes on I-522 Committee reported nearly $8 million in expenditures, of which $600,000 came from in-kind contributions.
For more information on food labeling, please visit the National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
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