Wednesday, October 12, 2016

WI ethics [sic] reform [sic] blows open money floodgates

So here's where we are in the formerly progressive State of Wisconsin after Scott Walker launched his kleptocratic, corporation-abiding administration in 2011.

*  We subsequently learned that, with his inner circle, Walker helped coordinate and enjoyed a dark money tsunami for his 2012 recall campaign, with tributaries, plus operatives, also having flowed to GOP legislative campaigns and conservative Justice David Prosser's linchpin State Supreme Court race, too:

But wait: there's more:

*  Republicans in the Legislature like GOP Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald - - 
Wisc Sen. Scott Fitzgerald.jpg
- - worked to trim with self-serving intentions the statutory reach of investigations like one that set the dark money probe into motion, and for good measure, also replaced Wisconsin non-partisan, nationally-praised ethics and elections board with a self-dealing and partisan ethics commission (that's what it's called!) that in one of its first 'reforms' is throwing open - - heck, removing - - the special interest money floodgates.

The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, a non-profit watchdog organization, puts it this way
"…legislators can set up their own PACs or issue advocacy groups and have their wealthiest donors, including corporations, donate unlimited amounts to these groups, which they themselves run!
And if it’s an issue advocacy group, we’ll never even know about these donations because they can be given in secret...
A legislator running for reelection to the State Assembly, for instance, can receive individual donations of only up to $1,000 to their campaign committees. But now they can steer unlimited donations from individuals and corporations to the “outside” groups that they themselves run, and they can use that money to flood the airwaves with commercials slamming their opponents or extolling their own virtues...
And look how corrupting it could be. A legislator could have his own issue advocacy group and receive literally millions of dollars from a corporation that has a vested interest in changing a particular law…
The legislator could then introduce a bill to change the law precisely along the lines that the corporation wants, and we’d never know about these millions, under the table, that would be grossly distorting our legislative process.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Walker said it and put signs up to prove it: "WISCONSIN IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS." Welcome to Walker's world of corruption. I bet he earned an Eagle Scout badge in some corrupt or illegal manner. Until the voters of this state stand up and throw the clowns out.....we are screwed!