• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • About Craft Brewing Business

Craft Brewing Business

Professional Insight, Unfiltered

Craft Brewing Business Craft Brewing Business
  • News
  • Business & Marketing
  • Packaging & Distribution
  • Equipment & Systems
  • Ingredients & Supplies
  • Webinars & White Papers
  • News
  • Business & Marketing
  • Ingredients & Supplies
  • Packaging & Distribution
  • Equipment
  • Webinars & White Papers
  • COVID-19

Classic boner: Indiana Beverage Alliance accuses Monarch Beverage of alleged illegal campaign financing

March 2, 2015Keith Gribbins

money beer cheers doll
Beer, politics and money — three things that always make for meaty Monday news.

Do you remember when Indiana Beverage Alliance President Marc Carmichael called Indiana Senate Bill 415 “my turd in the punch bowl?” Those were classier times. The IBA was sending its turd missile bill toward Monarch Beverage, which was trying to change Indiana law so that it could distribute liquor as well as beer. Both liquor and beer wholesalers feared that it would help create a distribution monopoly, which seemed like a fair assessment. From the Indianapolis Business Journal:

Having failed to get bills passed over four sessions, Monarch turned last year to federal court with a lawsuit against the Alcohol and Tobacco Commission, saying Indiana’s law violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.

Just when we almost forgot about this excellent moment, the story recently took a new turn. The Indiana Star reported that the IBA, characterized as “a group of smaller beer distributors that compete with Monarch,” accused Monarch of illegal campaign financing. The accusation alleges that Monarch illegally gave nearly $1.5 million in campaign cash through a limited liability company called Vision Concepts that appears to be owned by Monarch. They have the same address and chief executive, at least.

Vision Concepts is a marketing firm that sells promotional services primarily to the alcoholic beverage industry, and Monarch Beverage is a six-decade old beverage distributor currently representing more than 500 brands and delivering an average of 60,000 cases of product a day to retail customers throughout the Hoosier State. That’s a pretty powerful duo. They also peddle a lot of craft brands. The complaint is pending before the Indiana Election Commission.

Monarch and Vision Concepts say they’ve done nothing wrong. The companies — which have the same address and chief executive — have hired top-flight lawyers, including former Indiana Republican Party Chairman Murray Clark, to fight the accusation.

At issue is a state law that limits corporations like Monarch to giving $22,000 a year to state and local campaigns. Those limits are intended to prevent powerful companies with deep pockets from hijacking the election process.

Of course, the best part of this story is that apparently IBA members might, allegedly, be doing the exact same thing.

In fact, an Indianapolis Star review of campaign finance records found that several of Monarch’s competitors — including members of the Beverage Alliance — have affiliated LLCs that have contributed more than would be allowed under the corporate caps.

States vary quite a bit on how they treat corporate and LLC contributions, but the whole affair looks to be the old and familiar battle over fair distribution. How should all of this be resolved? More lawyers? Please, let us know below.

How to Seduce a Distributor: The importance of branding, common misconceptions and automatic disqualifiers
brewery beer finance writing crop
Five steps to make a better beer distributor contract
Budweiser horses carriage cbb crop
This 1997 Anheuser-Busch franchise agreement shows how distributors have always put Big Beer first
politician pouring beer american flag United States cbb crop
Wholesalers paid $1.5 million in contributions to North Carolina politicians from 2013-’16 (the castration of HB 500)

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. VicinityBrew says

    March 4, 2015 at 3:07 pm

    Indiana Beverage Alliance accuses Monarch Beverage of illegal campaign financing http://t.co/8hnw11WrrT via @craftbrewingbiz

    Log in to Reply
  2. crsimp01 says

    March 2, 2015 at 5:19 pm

    Indiana Beverage Alliance accuses Monarch Beverage of illegal campaign financing http://t.co/gtA4RbgiYE via @craftbrewingbiz

    Log in to Reply
  3. Lorraine Deffenbaugh says

    March 2, 2015 at 12:52 pm

    Lorraine Deffenbaugh liked this on Facebook.

    Log in to Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Classic boner: Indiana Beverage Alliance accuses Monarch Beverage of alleged illegal campaign financing | GlobalBrew ERP Brewery Software says:
    March 2, 2015 at 4:03 pm

    […] Do you remember when Indiana Beverage Alliance President Marc Carmichael called Indiana Senate Bill 415 “my turd in the punch bowl?” Those were classier times. The IBA was sending its … Read More […]

    Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Latest News

  • Cadaverine: When your beer smells like dead human
  • Unfiltered: There are weevils in my grain – what do I do?
  • Festo takes new approach with VZXA angle seat valves
  • People news: Industry icon John Mallett steps down from Bell’s + moves from Craft ‘Ohana, BrewDog USA and more

Sign up for our newsletter

unsubscribe from list

Most Popular Today

Recent Features

  • Cadaverine: When your beer smells like dead human
    January 26, 2023
  • beer taps brain distribution cbb cropUnfiltered: There are weevils in my grain – what do I do?
    January 26, 2023
  • People news: Industry icon John Mallett steps down from Bell’s + moves from Craft ‘Ohana, BrewDog USA and more
    January 25, 2023
  • Premium beer products were one of the top growth markets of 2022, says IWSR 
    January 23, 2023
  • Fair State Brewing Cooperative launches Minnesota’s first cannabis beverage fulfillment, copacking and distribution center
    January 23, 2023
  • Fat-Tire-cansFat Tire and other craft beer legacy brand updates to know in 2023
    January 17, 2023

Footer

  • Email Newsletter Sign Up
  • About Craft Brewing Business
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise on Craft Brewing Business
  • Media Kit Download
  • Privacy and Terms

© 2023 · CBB Media LLC