Grocery group fined $18Million in fight against GMO food-labeling initiative

‘In a record-setting penalty, a national grocery-industry group has been ordered to pay $18 million for violating campaign-finance laws to conceal the identities of corporations that poured $11 million into defeating a 2013 food-labeling initiative in Washington.
The 24-page ruling by Thurston County Superior Court Judge Anne Hirsch on Wednesday slammed the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) for “intentional” violations of state law.
That allowed the $6 million fine she imposed to be tripled to $18 million for punitive damages. Additionally, the grocers group will have to pay the state’s trial costs and attorney’s fees.’
Read more: Grocery group fined $18Million in fight against GMO food-labeling initiative