GRAND HAVEN, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Anonymous flyers urging Ottawa County residents to vote “no” on a Grand Haven Area Public Schools (GHAPS) bond proposal are “a clear violation” of political action laws, says Ottawa County Clerk Justin Roebuck.

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“Essentially, any individual or group of individuals who is seeking to support or oppose a ballot proposition or a candidate, once you spend $500 or more, you are required, essentially to form … a political committee under campaign finance law,” Roebuck said.

Not only did the anonymous sender fail to file a committee with the county, but they also did not include a name, return address, or contact information on the fliers, which is also illegal.

Although Roebuck said there is no statute against including inaccuracies in campaign material, Grand Haven residents are concerned about the content of the flyers.

“I think I would describe [the flyers] as misleading,” said Grand Haven Resident and Grand Valley State University English Education Professor Amy Masko said. “I also received flyers in the mail, and there are signs around Grand Haven about voting no …Presumably, they’re all paid for by the same whoever is paying for this.”

Parent Becky Becker says the flyers contain factually inaccurate information about student achievement and the costs of the projects the bond would pay for.

“I’m concerned people are going to believe this,” she said. “It’s pretty convenient to put out a bunch of disinformation with no way for anyone to follow up and ask any questions.”

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GHAPS Superintendent Scott Grimes sent out a letter to district families contradicting some of the claims made in the flyer. For example, a door hanger claimed that the district will spend $30 million on a sports complex, while Grimes’s letter says the actual number is slightly under $15 million.

Roebuck says that tracing the flyers, which were mailed from Kentucky, will be difficult. “It’s definitely a misdemeanor, and that complaint process is handled through the Secretary of State, and passed on to the Attorney General,” he said. “Unfortunately for our voters, nobody will know who paid for these mailers by Election Day — there’s just not enough time to figure that out.”