Do you think politicians should be allowed to buy elections? If you answered “no,” you might want to take a look at a new report just released by One Wisconsin Now and United Wisconsin which details how Scott Walker paid for his recall election using loophole loot. And if you’d like to help keep politicians, both Republican and Democrat, from buying elections in the future, you may want to consider signing the petition (below).
From Thursday’s press release via United Wisconsin:
A comprehensive report from One Wisconsin Now and United Wisconsin shows how Gov. Scott Walker raised over $7 million by exploiting the unlimited campaign finance recall loophole and provides a detailed perspective on the out-of-state and in-state donors who bankrolled Walker’s win in June.
“Scott Walker exploited the recall election rules to drown out the voice of Wisconsin working families in favor of his elite friends,” said Lisa Subeck, United Wisconsin Executive Director. “Unlimited spending on elections by wealthy and special interests is rotting the core of our democracy.”
Yowza!
The major findings of the report show that of the $37 million raised by Walker since January 2011, just under $11 million was raised for “recall defense expenditures.” Of this, $7.3 million was raised from contributions in excess of the normal $10,000 campaign limits for a gubernatorial candidate in Wisconsin.
Adds Scot Ross, Executive Director of One Wisconsin Now, “Scott Walker bought the election with a waterfall of money no other candidate could legally raise.”
The report provides biographical material about the 163 “mega-donors” to Walker — those who contributed the $7.3 million in excess of the normal contribution limits. Leading the charge was Diane Hendricks, billionaire widow, who appeared in the infamous “divide and conquer” video where Walker outlined his plan to attack both public and private sector employees and turn Wisconsin into a “Right to Work for Less” state. Hendricks gave Walker $510,000, and this was just one of the numerous six-figure contributions Walker got — all in excess of any contribution to an individual candidate given in Wisconsin history.
Read the full report here.
United Wisconsin and One Wisconsin Now seek to change the law to remove the unlimited recall money loophole, so that politicians, Republicans AND Democrats, cannot exploit the system and render the democratic process null and void.
“We must get Big Money out of politics if we are to ensure everyone can have a voice, not just those with deep pockets,” said Subeck. “This starts with common-sense reform to our broken campaign finance system.”
The two groups are running a petition drive to do just that. If you’d like to add your name to the petition, please click here.
No recall candidate should be allowed to outraise and in kind out spend any all opponents. With the saturation of false, misleading information that was put out by the PAC and Walker himself voters got so turned off or began to believe the propaganda.
There was not a single candidate who could match what was spent by Walker, given the present campaign laws. We must rewrite those laws and make it a fair and even playing field for all who want to be in politics.
If we cannot make it an even playing field we will begin to see “the machines” fire up again and find ourselves voting for pre-selected, pre-approved, pre-ordained candidates vetted by big business to do their bidding.
Why is the tea party allowed to lie in their campagin and in their time in office? If a democrat did that, would they be treated the same way? Why the double standards? Why is Walker and Kathy in Waukeshaw still at their jobs collecting a salary on the tax payers dime? They have both refused to comply on many issues. They should both be fired, and prosecuted, and fined to pay allllll the damage! We need clean government and clean campagins! your taxes at work!
One thing for sure …. those campaign coffers, HE BUILT THAT!
Correct, Smeety. Rather than governing, he built his campaign coffers. He hasn’t governed and he’s unfit to govern. He’s no statesman and he hasn’t an original thought in his head. He’s a sad commentary on contemporary Conservatism.
It was not a bought win it was the people of Wisconsin supporting his decision to stand up to unions who were draining the state of a fiscal survival