Wisconsin's Bipartisan Ethics Commission Recommend Prosecution Related Allegations of Campaign Finance Violations

Monday, February 26th, 2024 -- 12:00 PM

(Anya van Wagtendonk, Wisconsin Public Radio) The bipartisan Wisconsin Ethics Commission is recommending felony prosecution of a committee related to former President Donald Trump and several elected Wisconsin officials on allegations of campaign finance violations.

According to Anya van Wagtendonk with Wisconsin Public Radio, the ethics group met earlier this week in closed session and recommended that charges be brought against Trump’s Save America committee, three county GOP arms, and Rep. Janel Brandtjen, R-Menomonee Falls.

The commission alleges Brandtjen, Trump’s committee and county party leaders conspired to illegally bypass campaign finance rules to funnel money to a Republican candidate challenging Assembly Speaker Robin Vos in 2022.

Vos’ opponent in that race, Adam Steen, narrowly lost in the partisan primary and later mounted a write-in challenge in the general election. In the recommendations, the commission alleges that county Republican Party arms directed donations to the Steen campaign that were larger than the maximum $1,000 allowed by state law.

Party arms are allowed to give candidates unlimited funds, but the complaints allege that individual donors earmarked donations to the party for Steen to get around the cap on individual donations.

The ethics commission described this as “collusion” and “intentional,” and has referred the recommendations to the relevant District Attorneys in Florence County, Chippewa County and Langlade County.

Under state law, if those DAs don’t pursue prosecution, the state Department of Justice has the option to do so.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.