UPDATE: This post has been updated to include information Peter Rickman from We Are Milwaukee addressing the points raised in the original blog entry.
Take a good long look at this mailer sent out on behalf of Democratic Assembly candidate Marina Dimitrijevic, one of four Democrats running to replace Jon Richards in the 19th Assembly District.
While the mailer itself seems like pretty standard fare, what caught my eye is the group that sent out the mailer on behalf of Marina Dimitrijevic. That group is We Are Milwaukee, which according to the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) is listed as being delinquent since January 2014, meaning it is not currently in good standing with the Wisconsin DFI.
Interestingly, the expenditure on behalf of Marina Dimitrijevic by We Are Milwaukee is not listed on the July 2014 Continuing Report for the We Are Milwaukee Political Action Committee, and We Are Milwaukee Inc. has not yet filed its July 2014 Continuing Report, despite the deadline for filing that report having come and gone.
I’m not entirely sure what’s going on with We Are Milwaukee, but the fact that the group is sending out mailers/making expenditures while delinquent with the state Department of Financial Institutions and without having filed the required campaign finance reports certainly seems more than a little unusual.
In an update to the original blog post, Peter Rickman of We Are Milwaukee addressed each of the points raised.
We are more than happy to address each point raised here, and will do so below.
However, when you say that you’re “not entirely sure what’s going on with We Are Milwaukee,” it’s hard to accept the statement at face value. You never reached out, using the contact information found on the Government Accountability Board website or anywhere else with a pretty simple Google search, to get a comment or elucidation from We Are Milwaukee. The post here looks more like a passive hit-piece to do some sort of “guilt by association” thing on Marina Dimitrijevic than even simply sloppy blogger-journalism.
Department of Financial Institutions: A previous attorney did not file a document confirming that no changes to the incorporation had been made, and did not alert the principals of We Are Milwaukee. When alerted to this last week by a supporter, we immediately filed the document — which quite literally is just a statement of officers and directors. Pending attention by DFI staff on Monday morning, we expect that the delinquent status will be removed.
Government Accountability Board: Most people with a passing knowledge of campaigns and elections in Wisconsin know that recent rulings in the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals have thrown the GAB registration & reporting system for independent disbursement committees (which We Are Milwaukee is) into chaos. On advice of GAB staff, We Are Milwaukee did not file a July continuing report because it is no longer a requirement of independent disbursement committees to do so. The GAB is awaiting orders from the 7th Circuit before refashioning its reporting requirements for independent disbursement committees; until then, We Are Milwaukee continues to hold all records to be ready to report on day of the new system. In fact, We Are Milwaukee always has over-reported, including in its filings to the GAB those expenditures not conducted for a political purpose.
Again, both points raised really look like political maneuvers here, as opposed to hitting the basics of (even blogger) journalism. One call to We Are Milwaukee would have cleared this up. One call to DFI could have cleared it up. One call to the GAB could have cleared it up.
I would hope that an immediate correction gets made to this post — because these factual errors of omission pretty seriously cut into the fundamental point attempted to be made.
We are more than happy to address each point raised here, and will do so below.
However, when you say that you’re “not entirely sure what’s going on with We Are Milwaukee,” it’s hard to accept the statement at face value. You never reached out, using the contact information found on the Government Accountability Board website or anywhere else with a pretty simple Google search, to get a comment or elucidation from We Are Milwaukee. The post here looks more like a passive hit-piece to do some sort of “guilt by association” thing on Marina Dimitrijevic than even simply sloppy blogger-journalism.
Department of Financial Institutions: A previous attorney did not file a document confirming that no changes to the incorporation had been made, and did not alert the principals of We Are Milwaukee. When alerted to this last week by a supporter, we immediately filed the document — which quite literally is just a statement of officers and directors. Pending attention by DFI staff on Monday morning, we expect that the delinquent status will be removed.
Government Accountability Board: Most people with a passing knowledge of campaigns and elections in Wisconsin know that recent rulings in the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals have thrown the GAB registration & reporting system for independent disbursement committees (which We Are Milwaukee is) into chaos. On advice of GAB staff, We Are Milwaukee did not file a July continuing report because it is no longer a requirement of independent disbursement committees to do so. The GAB is awaiting orders from the 7th Circuit before refashioning its reporting requirements for independent disbursement committees; until then, We Are Milwaukee continues to hold all records to be ready to report on day of the new system. In fact, We Are Milwaukee always has over-reported, including in its filings to the GAB those expenditures not conducted for a political purpose.
Again, both points raised really look like political maneuvers here, as opposed to hitting the basics of (even blogger) journalism. One call to We Are Milwaukee would have cleared this up. One call to DFI could have cleared it up. One call to the GAB could have cleared it up.
I would hope that an immediate correction gets made to this post — because these factual errors of omission pretty seriously cut into the fundamental point attempted to be made.
Peter, thanks for the information!
I’m glad to hear that 6 months later you all have rectified your delinquency with DFI, and I look forward to seeing your group’s financial reports once you finally file them.
Still doing the dirty work for Abele I see. Are you on a monthly retainer or do you get paid by the post? This is not all stemming from the check he wrote you last year and the job promise is it?
Stan, I’m not doing any dirty work for Abele, nor for any of the candidates actually running in the 19th district.
As to your assertion my blogging about this was the result of a check or a job promise, I’ll just say that you’re absolutely out of your mind. I’ve worked the same job for nearly 14 years, and that job has no association with Chris Abele in any way, shape, or form. It’s unfortunate that you feel the need to make wild accusations that aren’t at all based in reality, but blind hate will do that I suppose.
You have taken money from him and were begging him for a job. I am just surprised you sell yourself so cheap.
Stan, I took a campaign contribution from him, just as I took contributions from dozens of folks throughout Milwaukee County. While I appreciate your desire to tie that contribution from Abele to my criticisms of Marina Dimitrijevic, if you’d been paying attention you’d know I’ve been critical of Marina since before I ran for office.
As to your assertion I begged Abele for a job, I did no such thing.
As a final note, I’d just like to note that I find it telling that you’re so eager and willing to hurl insults and make baseless accusations while hiding behind the anonymity of the internet.
Great report, Zach! These are your Marina voters.
Look how this Rickman guy tries to blame a lawyer for not doing or telling We Are Wisconsin to do something that you absolutely do not need a lawyer for and which is one of the most basic regular, annual tasks of keeping a corporation in good standing. Don’t plead ignorance or incapacity, take responsibility. He could have double-checked his corporation’s status at any time–it’s easily searchable via the DFI website. This is just an example of negligence. Raise the bar, progressives. Keep this kind of stuff snapped tight, it’s not that hard.
It’s always easier to blame someone else.
Zach,
Call the Adams campaign and ask about the mailing…..
There’s no use in that, because they’re not gonna give a straight answer. They’ve taken to deleting questions asked about the mailer that have been asked on Facebook, if memory serves me.