Leaked documents show pervasive influence of money in Wisconsin politics

Documents leaked to the Guardian comprising 1,500 pages collected as part of a probe, the John Doe files, were evidence gathered by prosecutors to show alleged irregularities in political fundraising.

The documents point towards the pervasive influence of cash, corporate and otherwise, in the political process in Wisconsin. However the Wisconsin Supreme Court last year found that the documents do not show that anything illegal was done:

On July 16, 2015, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled 4–2 that Walker did not illegally collaborate with conservative groups during the recall campaigns. Writing for the majority in the case, Justice Michael Gableman stated: “To be clear, this conclusion ends the John Doe investigation because the special prosecutor’s legal theory is unsupported in either reason or law,” he said, “Consequently, the investigation is closed.”[121]

Not satisfied simply in ruling there was no illegality, the court also ordered that all the documents gathered during the investigation be destroyed. However, obviously at least one set was preserved and given to the Guardian. While they may reveal nothing illegal, according to the Guardian:The files open a window on a world that is very rarely glimpsed by the public, in which millions of dollars are secretly donated by major corporations and super-wealthy individuals to third-party groups in an attempt to sway elections. They speak to a visceral theme of the 2016 presidential cycle: the distortion of American democracy by big business that has been slammed by both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court tried to close this window, and no doubt protect the elite whose laws they are meant to uphold. The fact that nothing may be found to be illegal may be a consequence of lax laws pertaining to political financing in Wisconsin. There is currently a petition before the U.S. Supreme Court on the issue.

Among the leaked documents are hundreds of pages of email exchanges involving conversations with Walker, his top aides, conservative lobbyists, and leading Republican figures. Ironically, Trump's name appears in the files as making a $15,000 donation after Walker made a personal visit to Trump's headquarters. Walker is well-known as a supporter of many right-wing causes. Among the names cropping up in the files are Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone, hedge-fund manager Paul Singer, and the Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson. One e-mail says: “I got $1m from John Menard today." Menard is head of the home improvement chain Menards.

The material shows that donations totaling $750,000 were made to a third-party group closely allied with Walker, from the owner of NL industries a company that had produced lead paint. It just so happens that within the same time-frame the Republican-controlled Wisconsin legislature passed new laws making it more difficult for victims of lead poisoning to sue. Walker claims the law had nothing to do with the donation.

Among the interesting files are documents which show Walker allies helped David Prosser, a member of the Wisconsin Supreme Court to retain his seat in a 2011 re-election. A network of groups and campaigners spent $3.5 in undisclosed corporate funds to pay for TV and radio ads that backed the judge. Apparently Wisconsin law does not require disclosure of the funding. Walker is famous for his anti-union legislation: Shortly after his inauguration in 2011, Walker introduced a budget plan which limited the collective bargaining of most Wisconsin public employees. The response to Walker's policies included protests at the Wisconsin State Capitol and an effort to recall Walker. In the 2012 recall election, Walker again defeated Barrett, becoming the first American governor to survive a recall effort. In 2014, Walker defeated his Democratic challenger, businesswoman and Madison school board member Mary Burke. Walker was a candidate for his party's nomination to the 2016 presidential election.

The documents show the Walker administration was anxious to retain the right-wing majority on the court, in order to preserve his anti-union measures. One e-mail reads: “If we lose [Justice Prosser], the Walker agenda is toast." The email was sent to the Governor's chief of staff, and several conservative lobbyists. In the 2015 decision, Justice Prosser refused to recuse himself when the court considered the John Doe investigation. It is hardly a surprise that he along with four other conservative judges voted both to terminate the investigation and destroy all the documents amassed by the investigators. Prosser explained that four years had passed since his re-election and before he joined the decision in the John Doe case. Over that time any potential conflict of interest had faded he said.

Walker and others subject to the investigation point out that no charges have ever been brought in the case, and that a number of Wisconsin courts, including the Supreme Court have cleared them of wrongdoing. They claim the charges are baseless and there is no evidence of wrongdoing. The third-party lobby groups claimed that the investigators had accused wholly innocent people of crimes that do not exist under state law. This may be because state law is lax as the petition mentioned earlier claims. There is a difference between wrongdoings that are illegal and legal wrongdoings that involve using money to buy political influence. The facts surely show that the investigators found evidence of the latter. Apparently the Wisconsin Supreme Court thinks that the public have no right to see the evidence of such wrongdoings and come to their own opinions. The Guardian analysis of the documents have provided a public service while the Wisconsin Supreme Court protects the people involved in questionable practices from public scrutiny.

AFL-CIO chief on Walker victory spin and silver linings

AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka at a press conference crows that Walker's 50 million expenditures did not sway union voters. He also points out the one positive outcome for labor that the Republicans lost control of the State Senate. However, his point about union members not being swayed is certainly a positive spin on dismal statistics.

Trumka notes that Walker outspent the Barrett forces by seven to one. He also remarks that an election night poll showed that union members overall supported the recall by 75 per cent to 25 per cent. However exit polls showed the split was 70 to 30 per cent. Even if you take the Trumka statistic it seems hardly a victory that one quarter of one's own supporters support ones opponent!

But Walker leaves out another important figure from exit polls. The breakdown in exit polls for other members of union households was about 50 to 50. This shows that Barret was not that popular even among people that one would think would be strong supporters.

As well as the wealth of Koch and others a factor in the defeat of Barrett is simply the unpopularity of unions. Also many simply felt that Walker should only have been recalled as a result of some serious misdemeanor. However attacking workers rights and benefits is seen as simply fair enough by many who envy the position of union members and see themselves as beleaguered taxpayers. They are not fazed by reducing the deficit by attacks on fellow workers. That is the American way it seems. For more see this article.

Another factor that Trumka does not mention is that Obama did not campaign for Barrett nor did the Democratic National office provide needed extra funds. As Trumka mentions Walker got plenty of high profile outside help but there seems to have been no equal parallel effort from the Democratic side.

Walker lead narrows in Wisconsin recall race.

The vote is tomorrow in the Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin recall vote. The purportedly pro-labor President Obama is nowhere to be seen. There are many high profile Republicans helping Walker and of course teat party supporters and rich capitalists. Union coffers are no match for the donation's pouring in for Walker.

However the race is getting closer according to a recent poll. A Public Policy Polling Poll shows Walker receiving 50 per cent of the decided vote and challenger Tom Barrett mayor of Milwaukee 47 per cent. Three weeks ago there was a five per cent spread at 50 to 45 per cent for Walker.

Walker is winning among men, whites, seniors and residents of Milwaukee suburbs where Barrett leads among women, minorities, younger voters and in the greater Madison area and Milwaukee county. Key to winning for Democrats will be to get out their vote. Walker passed strong anti-labor legislation as governor. A win will no doubt encourage even more such legislation in other states.

This article suggests that Republicans are more excited than Democrats about the race. No doubt the right wing anti-labor hawks smell blood. The national Democrats just do not seem to appreciate the urgency of the battle in the way the right does.

While the Democrats have sent Bill Clinton into Wisconsin to campaign, Obama is noticeable for his absence. Obama is spending time in Minneapolis and Chicago both not that far from Wisconsin but he is not scheduled to appear in Wisconsin. Some Wisconsin Democrats have also complained of few funds coming from the Democratic National Committee.

Wisconsin: Polls favor Walker to win recall vote but race is close.

The recall vote pits Gov. Scott Walker against Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett. The election will be June 5th but advance polls have already been held.

A Reason-Rupe poll puts Walker ahead of Barrett by 50 points to 42 among likely voters. A St. Norbert College/Wisconsin public radio survey put Walker at 50 per cent and Barrett at 45. Some campaigners for Barrett have complained that the Democratic National Committee has not committed sufficient help to counter the huge sums that are behind Walker.

The fight is key for labor. One would think that Obama would be throwing everything he could into the campaign. Walker successfully limited collective bargaining rights in Wisconsin. If he returns the right wing drive to weaken unions will gain even more momentum. For more see this article. Or here. Or here.

Wisconsin Democrats want recall campaign funding from national office

Wisconsin Democrats are angry that the national party has so far refused their request for a big investment in the Scott Walker recall.according to this article.

At the same time the national Republican Party is sensitive to the importance of ensuring that the right wing anti-labor governor should remain in power. They are investing a lot of money in the campaign to defend Walker.

A top Wisconsin Democrat told the author:“We are frustrated by the lack of support from the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Governors Association,”“Scott Walker has the full support and backing of the Republican Party and all its tentacles. We are not getting similar support.”

Even though Scott Walker has already spent 30 million on his campaign the Democrats are still even in the polls with the Walker defense. The official continued:“We can get outspent two to one or five to one. We can’t get spent 20 to one.”

The Wisconsin Democrats apparently have asked the national party for half a million dollars to help with their field operations. The DNC (Democratic National Committee) has supported Wisconsin Democrats rhetorically but no financial help has come so far. The recall vote is scheduled for June 5th.

Polls indicate that most in Wisconsin have already made up their mind. Although the Walker campaign spent a great deal of money the polls have not changed much. Whoever is able to get the best turnout will probably win. The Wisconsin Democrats want funds for their field operations.

The Wisconsin Democrats are particularly angry because a loss in the recall could hurt them in the fall as well in the presidential election. A Wisconsin Democrat official told the author:“Scott Walker has made this a national election,”. “If he wins, he will turn his victory into a national referendum on his ideas about the middle class. It will hurt Democrats nationally. The fact that [national Dems] are sitting on their hands now is so frustrating. The whole ticket stands to lose.” If Obama is really committed to labor he must show it by helping fund this key battle against an anti-union Republican governor. For more see this article.

Wisconsin: Governor Scott Walker to face recall election in June

The Government Accountability Board found that petitions for the recall of both Governor Walker and Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefish met the recall standard. Walker's anti-union legislation brought about the petition. The legislation sparked many demonstrations in the state and at the state capitol in Madison.

Just over 540,000 signatures were required to trigger the recall vote but over 900,000 were counted a valid. Even so there were 26,115 names declared invalid including. They included Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Adolf Hitler, I wonder if there aren''t actually people with some of these names!

Governor Walker also lost out to a court decision as well. A district court judge ruled that the requirement that most public-employee unions must re certify annually violated the constitutional guarantee of equal protection since the law made an unsupportable distinction between general employee and public safety unions.

The recalling of governors is rare. In the U.S. only two governors have ever been recalled. Gray Davis of California was recalled in 2003 and Lynn Frazier of South Dakota way back in 1921. For more see this article.