Prosecutors claim Gov. Scott Walker was involved with a plan to illegally coordinate fundraising with outside conservative groups to help him and several Republican senators survive a 2012 recall election. In court documents recently unsealed, prosecutors detail a criminal scheme by Walker and top aides to circumvent state law by helping plan campaign spending by a dozen outside groups.

No charges have been filed against Walker or any of his staffers. The documents became public as part of an ongoing lawsuit by Wisconsin Club for Growth, a group at the center of the investigation. A federal appeals judge now is considering whether to permanently stop the investigation.

Photo of Gov. Scott Walker courtesy of Gage Skidmore on Wikimedia Commons.

Targets of a John Doe investigation by the Government Accountability Board (GAB) have countered by filing suit against GAB. Conservative activist Eric O’Keefe, his Wisconsin Club for Growth, and “others similarly situated” filed the lawsuit in the Waukesha County Circuit Court.

The plaintiffs allege GAB does not have the statutory authority to appoint and pay special investigators to probe conservative organizations suspected of illegally coordinating with Gov. Scott Walker’s campaign during the state’s partisan recall elections.

The lawsuit follows a U.S. District Court decision effectively ending the John Doe investigation and a 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals decision declaring the state’s campaign laws restricting issue advertising unconstitutional.

The Government Accountability Board (GAB) is seeking comment on new guidelines for lobbyist campaign contributions. Following changes to campaign fundraising rules pursuant to 2013 Wisconsin Act 153, GAB concluded a lobbyist may deliver or convey a campaign contribution on behalf of a political action committee, conduit, or other person to a candidate for any office at any time.

The draft changes to GAB guidelines 1249 and 1250 are available here. Comments should be sent to Division Administrator Jonathan Becker at jonathan.becker@wi.gov or (608) 267-0647 by June 2, 2014.

The Government Accountability Board (GAB) voted to allow lobbyists to pass along donations from political action committees and clients to state lawmakers at any point during the year.

GAB previously concluded recently signed Senate Bill 655 removed the ability of lobbyists to deliver anyone else’s contribution at any time.

The change in interpretation was supported by Republican legislative leaders, lobbyists, and attorneys for the Legislature.

The 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has declared portions of the state’s campaign finance laws restricting issue advertising unconstitutional. Wisconsin Right to Life Inc. and its state political action committee sued the Government Accountability Board (GAB) to prevent enforcement of state statutes and rules against issue advocacy groups spending money for political speech independently of candidates and parties.

The decision prevents GAB from enforcing both the state’s ban on political spending by corporations and the amount a corporation may spend on fundraising for an affiliated political action committee. The ruling will also affect a secret John Doe investigation into conservative organizations suspected of illegally coordinating with Gov. Scott Walker’s campaign during the state’s partisan recall elections.

The Government Accountability Board (GAB) has concluded a recently signed law allowing lobbyists to personally give campaign contributions a couple of months earlier also prohibits them from providing such contributions on behalf of clients at any time.

Whether by design or by drafting error, a late amendment to Senate Bill 655 removed the provision to allow a lobbyist to deliver a client’s contribution at any time.

GAB will review the matter at its meeting on May 21, 2014. The Legislature would have to reconvene to fix a drafting error.

Aggregate contribution limits for individuals and PACs contributing to state candidates are no longer enforceable, according to the settlement reached in Young v. Government Accountability Board.

The federal case challenging Wisconsin’s aggregate limits was on hold until the Supreme Court struck down aggregate limits for federal elections in McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission.

Before the settlement, Wisconsin law prohibited donors from giving more than $10,000 a year to all candidates combined.

The aggregate contribution limits for individuals and PACs contributing to state candidates are expected to be unenforceable following the Supreme Court’s McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission repeal of federal aggregate limits. The federal case challenging Wisconsin’s aggregate limits has been on hold pending McCutcheon. Young v. GAB seeks to remove aggregate limits set to prohibit even a $1 contribution if the individual donor has given the maximum $10,000 contribution to a single candidate.

The Government Accountability Board (GAB) has moved to dismiss the case, arguing the complaint does not sufficiently allege Mr. Young is harmed by the limit.

The state Senate adjourned the last general-business floorperiod of the 2014 regular session on April 1, 2014, after passing more than 50 bills. The Assembly previously adjourned early on March 21, 2014.

Gov. Scott Walker has six business days to sign or veto legislation he receives. While the Legislature has no plans to return this year, Walker may call a special session to pass a bill requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls.

Photo of the Wisconsin State Capitol courtesy of Dori on Wikimedia Commons.

Gov. Scott Walker has signed into law a bill allowing lobbyists to start making campaign donations to candidates seven weeks earlier than previously allowed. 2013 Wisconsin Act 153 allows a lobbyist to personally make political contributions as early as April 15 of a general election year, the same day candidates can circulate petitions for office.

The Act also increases the registration threshold from $25 to $300 for committees making or receiving political contributions.

The Act is effective on March 29, 2014, one day following publication.

The Assembly has passed a bill to widen the ability of lobbyists to provide campaign contributions.

Senate Bill 655 allows a lobbyist to deliver or personally make political contributions as early as April 15 of a general election year, the same day candidates can circulate petitions for office.

Currently, lobbyists must wait until June 1 to make contributions. The bill now goes to Gov. Scott Walker.

The Senate passed a bill to widen the ability of lobbyists to provide campaign contributions. Senate Bill 655 allows a lobbyist to deliver or personally make political contributions as early as April 15 of a general election year. Currently, lobbyists must wait till June 1 to personally make contributions.

A proposal to allow lobbyists to deliver campaign contributions during a floorperiod did not pass. The bill now goes to the Assembly.

The Senate is considering campaign finance bills to narrow reporting requirements of advocacy groups and widen the ability of lobbyists to provide campaign contributions. Senate Bill 654 would further distinguish non-reportable “issue advocacy” from reportable “candidate advocacy.”

Briefly in 2010, the Government Accountability Board (GAB) used its own discretion to classify campaign activity until both liberal and conservative groups filed lawsuits.

Senate Bill 655 allows a lobbyist to deliver political contributions at any time and allows for lobbyists to make personal contributions as early as April 15 of a general election year. Currently, lobbyists are prohibited from delivering contributions during a legislative session and must wait till June 1 to personally make contributions.

The Government Accountability Board has updated the lobbying website at https://lobbying.wi.gov.

Visitors to the site can search by lobbyist or lobbyist principal to view total lobbying hours by lobbyists and total lobbying expenditures by lobbyist principals.

A lobbyist principal’s entire report can also be accessed, including the subject matter of lobbying efforts.