Grocery group that fought GMO labeling gets hit with $18 million fine
Washington state officials are calling it the largest campaign-finance penalty in U.S. history.
A Thurston County Superior Court judge on Wednesday ordered the Grocery Manufacturers Association to pay an $18 million fine for deliberately hiding its donors.
The Grocery Manufacturers Association took in millions in contributions in its 2013 campaign against a proposal to label genetically modified foods in Washington state.
Major donors included household names like Pepsico, Nestle, Coca Cola and General Mills.
The penalty is by far the largest in the history of Washington's Public Disclosure Commission, but it's $4 million less than opponents spent to block the GMO initiative. The "No on 522" campaign spent about $22 million, with about half of the total coming from the Grocery Manufacturers Association.
Opponents outspent supporters of genetic labeling three to one.
It's the most expensive initiative campaign in Washington history, and the state's voters rejected the measure by a narrow margin, 51 percent to 49 percent.
In a statement, the Grocery Manufacturers Association said it intends to vigorously pursue legal options “to correct this injustice.”
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John Ryan
Reporter
KUOW senior reporter John Ryan joined the station as its first full-time investigative reporter in 2009 and took on the environment beat in 2018. He focuses on climate change, energy, and the ecosystems of the Puget Sound region. He has also investigated toxic air pollution, landslides, failed cleanups, and money in politics for KUOW.
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