Wednesday, September 27, 2006
How many of Doyle's hacks are going to sue Mark Green?
Now the Wisconisn Democracy Campaign wants in on the lawsuits.
Madison - The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign filed a complaint Wednesday with the Federal Election Commission arguing Congressman Mark Green violated federal campaign finance law when he transferred $1,285,974 from his federal campaign account to a state campaign account to run for governor.
WDC asked the FEC to investigate whether the January 2005 money transfer violated the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, commonly known as the McCain-Feingold law, and to require Green to return $1,242,846 to his federal account.
The WDC complaint is based on state Department of Justice court documents that argue the McCain-Feingold law limited the amount to $43,128 that Green could transfer from his congressional campaign account to his state account. McCain-Feingold says transfers from federal to state campaign accounts must abide by state law, which says a committee may contribute no more than $43,128 to a Wisconsin candidate for governor in a four-year election cycle.
The Justice Department documents were filed in Dane County Circuit Court after Green requested a temporary injunction to block an August 30 State Elections Board order requiring him to remove $467,844 from his state account. The order followed a WDC review that found those funds violated state campaign finance law because they came from political action committees not registered in Wisconsin.
On Monday, a judge denied Green’s request for a temporary injunction saying it was unlikely Green would win his case on appeal because it appeared he violated state and federal laws.
What impact is this going to do now? All of the lawsuits and appeals won't be finalized after the election, and by then Mark Green may just be the governor-elect. They can label Green all they want, but past precendence shows that Green can transfer as much money into the state account as possible. Tom Barrett did it in 2002.
But I forgot that as AG, Jim Doyle was against that too...because Tom Barrett was hot on his heels for the Democratic primary.
Labels: Election 2006
