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The Meijer [11] retail chain has issued a public apology, admitting that it "likely violated campaign finance and reporting laws [12]" and pledging to "comply with any and all direction, penalties, fines or other actions required by the Department of State" in connection with its covert effort to manipulate elections [13] in Acme Township, Michigan, where local officials opposed its plan to build a store. Meijer used Seyferth, Spaulding, Tennyson Inc. [14], a public relations [15] firm based in Grand Rapids, to set up several front groups [16] for the purpose of harassing local officials and orchestrating a recall election [17]. Ginny Seyferth, the president of the PR firm, responded to Meijer's statement by saying, "We stand by Meijer and look forward to the complete resolution of this matter."
Links:
[1] http://dev.prwatch.org/users/13916/sheldon-rampton
[2] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/public-relations/crisis-management
[3] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/public-relations/front-groups
[4] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/corporations
[5] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/democracy
[6] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/ethics
[7] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/lobbying
[8] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/public-relations
[9] http://dev.prwatch.org/topics/secrecy
[10] http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fdev.prwatch.org%2Fspin%2F2008%2F02%2F6975%2Fmeijer-admission&linkname=Meijer%20Admission
[11] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meijer
[12] http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/02/MEIJERACMESTATEMENT20508.pdf
[13] http://www.prwatch.org/node/6865
[14] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Seyferth,_Spaulding,_Tennyson_Inc.
[15] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/public_relations
[16] http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/front_groups
[17] http://www.record-eagle.com/local/local_story_037091642.html
[18] http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/2008/02/meijer_it_likely_broke_electio.html