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CSA also funneled money to other groups active in the recall elections, as well as the controversial "United Sportsmen" group that was the beneficiary of a $500,000 taxpayer-funded "sweetheart deal" cut by the outgoing Assembly Majority Speaker.
CSA also funneled money to other groups active in the recall elections, as well as the controversial "United Sportsmen" group that was the beneficiary of a $500,000 taxpayer-funded "sweetheart deal" cut by the outgoing Assembly Majority Speaker.
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The President of CSA is John W Connors, the "Director of Special Operations" at the [[Franklin Center for Government
and
Public Integrity]], which operates Watchdog.org and Wisconsin Reporter. Connors is elsewhere listed as an employee of David Koch's [[Americans for Prosperity]], and his consulting firm is at the same street address and building in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as AFP-Wisconsin. Connors registered CSA's web domain.<ref>Madison Who's Who [http://www.madisonwhoswho.com/member_profile.php?id=73304&s=vip VIP Member Biography, John W. Connors], business listing, accessed April 4, 2011</ref>
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The President of CSA is John W Connors, the "Director of Special Operations" at the [[Franklin Center for Government
&
Public Integrity]], which operates Watchdog.org and Wisconsin Reporter. Connors is elsewhere listed as an employee of David Koch's [[Americans for Prosperity]], and his consulting firm is at the same street address and building in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as AFP-Wisconsin. Connors registered CSA's web domain.<ref>Madison Who's Who [http://www.madisonwhoswho.com/member_profile.php?id=73304&s=vip VIP Member Biography, John W. Connors], business listing, accessed April 4, 2011</ref>
==Support for 2011 Prosser Supreme Court Campaign==
==Support for 2011 Prosser Supreme Court Campaign==
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CSA also sponsored mailings attacking incumbent Democratic Senator Dave Hansen of Green Bay who ran against Republican challenger John Macco in the 30th Senate District, and Democratic Assembly candidate Justin Pluess who challenged incumbent Republican Scott Krug for his 72nd District seat.<ref>[http://wisdc.org/index.php?module=cms&page=3554 Hijacking Campaign 2012: Citizens for a Strong America], Wisconsin Democracy Campaign Report, Oct 22, 2012</ref>
CSA also sponsored mailings attacking incumbent Democratic Senator Dave Hansen of Green Bay who ran against Republican challenger John Macco in the 30th Senate District, and Democratic Assembly candidate Justin Pluess who challenged incumbent Republican Scott Krug for his 72nd District seat.<ref>[http://wisdc.org/index.php?module=cms&page=3554 Hijacking Campaign 2012: Citizens for a Strong America], Wisconsin Democracy Campaign Report, Oct 22, 2012</ref>
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==
Funders
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==
Entirely Funded by Wisconsin Club for Growth in 2011
==
Although Citizens for a Strong America does not reveal funders on its website, through tax filings it can be ascertained that CSA was entirely funded by [[Wisconsin Club for Growth]], which gave CSA $4,620,000 in 2011. This amounted to CSA's entire budget for 2011, the same year that it spent significant sums on the Supreme Court and Senate elections.
Although Citizens for a Strong America does not reveal funders on its website, through tax filings it can be ascertained that CSA was entirely funded by [[Wisconsin Club for Growth]], which gave CSA $4,620,000 in 2011. This amounted to CSA's entire budget for 2011, the same year that it spent significant sums on the Supreme Court and Senate elections.
The treasurer for Citizens for a Strong America is Valerie Johnson, wife of RJ Johnson, a top "advisor" to Wisconsin Club for Growth.<ref name="Kohler"></ref>
The treasurer for Citizens for a Strong America is Valerie Johnson, wife of RJ Johnson, a top "advisor" to Wisconsin Club for Growth.<ref name="Kohler"></ref>
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CSA, in turn, provided the majority of funding for a third nonprofit that was active in the recall elections, and also shuffled money to two other groups.
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CSA, in turn, provided the majority of funding for a third nonprofit that was active in the recall elections, and also shuffled money to two other groups.
==Funding Recipients==
==Funding Recipients==
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CSA transferred $235,000 to United Sportsmen of Wisconsin in 2011 (the first year the group was in existence). United Sportsmen became embroiled in scandal in 2013 after outgoing Assembly Majority leader Scott Suder cut a $500,000 taxpayer-funded "sweetheart deal" for the group, which Governor Walker rescinded after public outcry. <ref> Brendan Fischer, [http://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/08/12224/wisconsin-prepares-hand-half-million-taxpayer-funds-koch-tied-gop-lobby-shop Wisconsin Prepares to Hand Half-Million in Taxpayer Funds to Koch-Tied GOP Lobby Shop], PRwatch.org, Aug. 27, 2013. </ref><ref name="Kohler"></ref> <ref> Patrick Marley and Jason Stein, [http://www.jsonline.com/sports/outdoors/headlines/fishing-trip-underscores-close-ties-between-suder-united-sportsmen-b99108668z1-225745101.html#ixzz2nxozVwyO "Fishing trip underscores close ties between Suder, United Sportsmen"], Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Sept. 30, 2013. </ref><ref name="Franklin Center attacks John Doe"> Brendan Fischer, [http://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/12/12344/why-franklin-center-wisconsin-reporter-attacking-john-doe Why Is the Franklin Center's "Wisconsin Reporter" and "Watchdog.org" Attacking the John Doe?], PRwatch.org, Dec. 19, 2013. </ref>
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=== United Sportsmen of Wisconsin ===
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CSA transferred $235,000 to United Sportsmen of Wisconsin in 2011 (the first year the group was in existence).
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel confirmed that in 2011, CSA was United Sportsman's only funder.<ref>Jason Stein, [http://www.jsonline.com/tablet/topstories/united-sportsmen-seeks-exemption-from-penalty-for-faulty-tax-filings-b99180919z1-239843611.html United Sportsmen seeks exemption from penalty for faulty tax filings], ''Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel'', Jan 12, 2014</ref>
United Sportsmen became embroiled in scandal in 2013 after outgoing Assembly Majority leader Scott Suder cut a $500,000 taxpayer-funded "sweetheart deal" for the group, which Governor Walker rescinded after public outcry. <ref> Brendan Fischer, [http://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/08/12224/wisconsin-prepares-hand-half-million-taxpayer-funds-koch-tied-gop-lobby-shop Wisconsin Prepares to Hand Half-Million in Taxpayer Funds to Koch-Tied GOP Lobby Shop], PRwatch.org, Aug. 27, 2013. </ref><ref name="Kohler"></ref> <ref> Patrick Marley and Jason Stein, [http://www.jsonline.com/sports/outdoors/headlines/fishing-trip-underscores-close-ties-between-suder-united-sportsmen-b99108668z1-225745101.html#ixzz2nxozVwyO "Fishing trip underscores close ties between Suder, United Sportsmen"], Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Sept. 30, 2013. </ref><ref name="Franklin Center attacks John Doe"> Brendan Fischer, [http://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/12/12344/why-franklin-center-wisconsin-reporter-attacking-john-doe Why Is the Franklin Center's "Wisconsin Reporter" and "Watchdog.org" Attacking the John Doe?], PRwatch.org, Dec. 19, 2013. </ref>
United Sportsmen also "worked with Wisconsin Family Action and Americans for Prosperity on an operation during the 2011 recall races in which absentee ballot applications were sent with the incorrect date for elections." <ref name="Franklin Center attacks John Doe"></ref>
United Sportsmen also "worked with Wisconsin Family Action and Americans for Prosperity on an operation during the 2011 recall races in which absentee ballot applications were sent with the incorrect date for elections." <ref name="Franklin Center attacks John Doe"></ref>
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=== Wisconsin Family Action ===
Another group CSA supported was [[Wisconsin Family Action]], to which it gave $916,045 in 2011. CSA's funding was was over 90% of the $1,009,616 in grants that the anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage group received that year. In addition to its anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage campaigns, Wisconsin Family Action spent an estimated $850,000 on the Senate recall campaigns in 2011, and an additional undisclosed amount on the Prosser-Kloppenburg race.<ref name="PR1"/>
Another group CSA supported was [[Wisconsin Family Action]], to which it gave $916,045 in 2011. CSA's funding was was over 90% of the $1,009,616 in grants that the anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage group received that year. In addition to its anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage campaigns, Wisconsin Family Action spent an estimated $850,000 on the Senate recall campaigns in 2011, and an additional undisclosed amount on the Prosser-Kloppenburg race.<ref name="PR1"/>
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=== Wisconsin Right to Life ===
CSA also gave $347,582 to [[Wisconsin Right to Life]] in 2011, a group that was the plaintiff in a high-profile 2010 U.S. Supreme Court case that struck down regulations on the so-called "issue ads" that many groups in this dark money network have engaged in.<ref name="PR1"/>
CSA also gave $347,582 to [[Wisconsin Right to Life]] in 2011, a group that was the plaintiff in a high-profile 2010 U.S. Supreme Court case that struck down regulations on the so-called "issue ads" that many groups in this dark money network have engaged in.<ref name="PR1"/>
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*[[Tax Day Tea Party|Tea Party Movement]]
*[[Tax Day Tea Party|Tea Party Movement]]
*[[David T. Prosser, Jr.]]
*[[David T. Prosser, Jr.]]
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*[[Wisconsin Club for Growth]]
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*[[United Sportsmen of Wisconsin]]
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*[[Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity]]
==External resources==
==External resources==