Exclusive: Complaint filed against Ann Arbor's Library Green Conservancy for Michigan Campaign Finance Act violation

 

A screenshot of the complaint filed against the Library Green Conservancy 

Andrew Robbins, a researcher at  U of M, has filed a complaint against the Library Green Conservancy (LGC) for violating the Michigan Campaign Finance Act. Under the Michigan Campaign Finance Act 501(c)(3)s like the LGC are limited in their ability to spend money advocating for specific candidates or ballot initiatives. 

The complaint against the LGC alleges the following:

The Library Green Conservancy (LGC), a Michigan 501(c)(3) organization, is in violation of the Michigan Campaign Finance Act by having spent over $500.00 on campaign advocacy related to a ballot question without having registered as a ballot question committee and without having disclosed their expenditures. 

LGC have caused themselves to meet the definition of a ballot question committee under MCL 169.203(4) through expenditures exceeding $500.00 in a calendar year. Despite this, they have not registered as a ballot question committee. Their communications meet the requirements for express words of defeat under MCL 169.206(2)(j), and their expenditures in calendar year 2025 have exceeded $500.00 as described under MCL 169.254(3). 

Examples of language designed to persuade voters to vote no include: 

"Proposals A & B are not needed to replace the downtown library." 

"Proposals A & B would allow the sale of valuable downtown public land for $1 for private development" 

"Proposals A & B would [...] overturn the will of the majority of 2018 voters." 

"Proposals A & B are NOT needed for a new library." 

"Proposals A & B are misleading." 

"YOU CAN VOTE AGAINST PROPOSALS A & B AND STILL GET A NEW LIBRARY!" 

"The park we voted for is under attack!" 

"Proposals A & B are the 1st step toward the goal [...] to sell our Parks and Park Land to High Rise Building Developers" 

Direct attacks against elected officials, including AADL president Molly Kleinman.

The complaint contains evidence, including statements made by the LGC's attorney, Tom Wieder, that the LGC spent $59,000 advocating against Proposals A and B. 

Though it is probably too late to directly impact the vote on Proposals A and B, it will be interesting to see how this complaint plays out. Stay tuned for more on this story as it develops.