Walker Ignores State and Federal Campaign Finance Law
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==2016 Presidential Race==
==2016 Presidential Race==
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===Walker Ignores State and Federal Campaign Finance Law===
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In the [[John Doe Investigation]] which has gotten little attention outside of Wisconsin, a bipartisan group of prosecutors allege that the Walker campaign illegally coordinated fundraising and expenditures with [[Wisconsin Club for Growth]] (WiCFG) and [[Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce]] (WMC) during the 2012 campaign to recall Gov. Walker. While coordination between candidate campaign committees and independent groups is prohibited, WiCFG director [[R.J. Johnson]] was also Walker's campaign manager when the state faced a series of nine recall races after the passage of the 2011 union-busting Act 10 legislation. Representatives of the Walker campaign or the dark money groups could face civil or criminal liability if prosecutors find that they conspired to evade campaign finance disclosure requirements and contribution limits. (The U.S. Department of Justice recently settled a criminal campaign coordination case in Virginia.)<ref> Department of Justice, [http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/campaign-manager-pleads-guilty-coordinated-campaign-contributions-and-false-statements Campaign Manager Pleads Guilty to Coordinated Campaign Contributions and False Statements], ''The United States Department of Justice'', February 12, 2015.</ref>
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In his run for the White House, Walker continues to exhibit total disregard for campaign finance law, says the Campaign Legal Center in a complaint filed before the FEC this week.<ref name="com"> J. Gerald Hebert and Fred Wertheimer, [http://www.campaignlegalcenter.org/sites/default/files/CLC%20%20D21%20v.%20Scott%20Walker_Complaint_3.31.15.pdf Complaint], ''Campaign Legal Center'', March 31, 2015.</ref> The complaint alleges that Walker is now a candidate according to federal law because he referred to himself as a candidate publicly and is reserving donations for a presidential run.<ref name="com"/> Therefore, he is "currently violating candidate registration and reporting requirements, contribution limits and restrictions, as well as federal “soft money” prohibitions."<ref name="com2"/>
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:“These 2016 presidential contenders must take the American people for fools—flying repeatedly to Iowa and New Hampshire to meet with party leaders and voters, hiring campaign staff, and raising millions of dollars from deep-pocketed mega donors, all the while denying that they are even ‘testing the waters’ of a presidential campaign. But federal campaign finance law is no joke and the candidate contribution limits kick in as soon as a person begins raising and spending money to determine whether they’re going to run for office. Bush, O’Malley, Santorum and Walker appear to be violating federal law,” Paul S. Ryan, Campaign Legal Center Senior Counsel, stated on the filing of the complaint.<ref name="com2"> Campaign Legal Center Staff, [http://www.campaignlegalcenter.org/news/press-releases/fec-complaints-against-presidential-hopefuls-show-widespread-violations-total FEC Complaints Against Presidential Hopefuls Show Widespread Violations, Total Disregard for Campaign Finance Law: They Must Take the American People for Fools], ''Campaign Legal Center'', March 31, 2015.</ref>
===Veteran Reporter Isikoff Details Pay-to-Play Allegations, John Menard Donates More than $1.5M in Secret===
===Veteran Reporter Isikoff Details Pay-to-Play Allegations, John Menard Donates More than $1.5M in Secret===
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Bill Allison, a senior fellow at the Sunlight Foundation that investigates money and politics, commented upon hearing of the secret contributions:
Bill Allison, a senior fellow at the Sunlight Foundation that investigates money and politics, commented upon hearing of the secret contributions:
:“This, in a nutshell, is what’s wrong with the dark-money world we live in...Here’s somebody who obviously has issues before the state, and he’s able to make a backdoor contribution that nobody ever sees. My sense is [political] insiders know about these contributions. It’s only the public that has no idea."<ref name="yh"/>
:“This, in a nutshell, is what’s wrong with the dark-money world we live in...Here’s somebody who obviously has issues before the state, and he’s able to make a backdoor contribution that nobody ever sees. My sense is [political] insiders know about these contributions. It’s only the public that has no idea."<ref name="yh"/>
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A Menards spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment by ''U.S. News & World Report'', which also described Walker's response:
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:"'I haven't engaged in any of that and there's going to be lots of stories going forward,' Walker said before walking away as an aide told reporters that he would not take questions."<ref>Scott Bauer, "[http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2015/03/24/walker-dismisses-report-of-big-menard-donation-tax-breaks Walker dismisses report of $1.5 million from Menards owner, followed by tax breaks]," ''U.S. News & World Report'', March 24, 2015.</ref>
===A Pattern of Governing by "Bombshell" and Reversals===
===A Pattern of Governing by "Bombshell" and Reversals===
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*AMNESTY: Walker changed his position on undocumented immigrants despite claiming that he had not, as the ''Wausau Daily Herald'' reported on February 17, 2015. In an interview with the newspaper's editorial board in 2013, Walker was asked: "Can you envision a world where, with the right penalties and waiting periods and meet the requirements, where those people [undocumented immigrants] could get citizenship?" To this he responded, "Sure. Yeah. I mean, I think it makes sense."<ref name="wdh">Robert Mentzer, [http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/story/opinion/2015/02/17/scott-walker-immigration-path-citizenship-wausau-interview-amnesty-border/23558209/ Yes, Gov. Walker supported path to citizenship: column], ''Wausau Daily Herald'', February 17, 2015.</ref> (The video of the interview can be viewed [http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/story/opinion/2015/02/17/scott-walker-immigration-path-citizenship-wausau-interview-amnesty-border/23558209/ here].) Walker later claimed that he never said this and was misquoted. In a February 2015 interview with Bret Baier of ''Fox News'', he said, "That’s wrong. It's not what I said. I have said I believe we need a legal immigration system. I have said repeatedly I oppose amnesty."<ref>Bret Baier, [https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=777432655645954 Bret Baier Interview with Walker], ''Fox News'', February 2015.</ref>
*AMNESTY: Walker changed his position on undocumented immigrants despite claiming that he had not, as the ''Wausau Daily Herald'' reported on February 17, 2015. In an interview with the newspaper's editorial board in 2013, Walker was asked: "Can you envision a world where, with the right penalties and waiting periods and meet the requirements, where those people [undocumented immigrants] could get citizenship?" To this he responded, "Sure. Yeah. I mean, I think it makes sense."<ref name="wdh">Robert Mentzer, [http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/story/opinion/2015/02/17/scott-walker-immigration-path-citizenship-wausau-interview-amnesty-border/23558209/ Yes, Gov. Walker supported path to citizenship: column], ''Wausau Daily Herald'', February 17, 2015.</ref> (The video of the interview can be viewed [http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/story/opinion/2015/02/17/scott-walker-immigration-path-citizenship-wausau-interview-amnesty-border/23558209/ here].) Walker later claimed that he never said this and was misquoted. In a February 2015 interview with Bret Baier of ''Fox News'', he said, "That’s wrong. It's not what I said. I have said I believe we need a legal immigration system. I have said repeatedly I oppose amnesty."<ref>Bret Baier, [https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=777432655645954 Bret Baier Interview with Walker], ''Fox News'', February 2015.</ref>
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*POLITICAL FUNDING FROM GAMBLING INDUSTRY: When Walker was a state representative in 1999, he was in favor of a ban on political contributions from the gambling industry.<ref name="think"> Josh Israel, [http://thinkprogress.org/election/2015/03/25/3638716/scott-walker-gambling-contributions/ Scott Walker’s Spectacular Flip-Flop On Political Contributions From The Gambling Industry], ''ThinkProgress'', March 25, 2015.</ref> ''ThinkProgress'' reports that Walker stated to fellow representatives in a hearing on the ban in September of 1999, "We have witnessed problems with gambling contributions at the federal level and in other states...We must act now before problems evolve in this state. Our measure will act as a protection against corruption here in Wisconsin.”<ref name="think"/> Walker clearly changed his position on such a ban. In recent years, "he accepted a $250,000 donation from Las Vegas Sands chairman and CEO [[Sheldon Adelson]]. The Republican megadonor and his wife Miriam would each make $10,000 donations to Walker’s 2014 re-election campaign as well (in addition to a $650,000 gift to the state GOP). According to the ''Wisconsin Democracy Campaign'', the Adelsons are among Walker’s six top biggest donors since 2009."<ref name="think"/> On top of these very large donations, "A ''ThinkProgress'' review of Walker’s other donors found he also received $9,000 from the Forest County Potawatomi Community (a Native American tribe that operates a Milwaukee casino). Walker got $5,000 from Wild Rose Entertainment chairman Gerald M. Kirke and $3,000 from vice chairman Michael J. Richards (their company operates two casinos in Iowa). And Peter M. Carlino, chairman of Penn National Gaming, also contributed $1,000 to Walker in 2012."<ref name="think"/>
===Walker's Online Communications Director Liz Mair "Resigns" After Two Days on the Job===
===Walker's Online Communications Director Liz Mair "Resigns" After Two Days on the Job===
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===Funding===
===Funding===
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{{#ev:youtube|kbUv9yynCvQ|210|right|"Draft Scott Walker for President 2016"}}
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"Go Big Go Bold," a new [[Super PAC]] supporting Walker's run for the presidency, was officially formed on February 25, 2015.<ref name="sf"> Peter Olsen-Phillips, [http://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/2015/03/30/partisanship-is-a-profit-center-for-founder-of-new-scott-walker-super-pac/ Partisanship is a profit center for founder of new Scott Walker super PAC], ''Sunlight Foundation'', March 30, 2015.</ref> According to its website, donations to the Super PAC "will be put to work immediately to help build a groundswell of bold, conservative support to Draft Scott Walker."<ref> Go Big Go Bold PAC, [http://goscottgo.com Draft Scott Walker: ‘Go Big, Go Bold’ 2016], ''Go Big Go Bold PAC'', 2015.</ref> "Go Big Go Bold" was formed by Robert Adams, the group's president and treasurer.<ref name="sf"/> According to reporter Peter Olsen-Phillips, Adams "has a history of using much of the money raised from his political vehicles to support neither candidates nor causes — but rather Robert Adams and the businesses he owns."<ref name="sf"/> "Go Big Go Bold" released a video online on February 25, 2015.
Walker attended and spoke at a GOP donors event at the Waldorf Astoria resort in Boca Raton, Florida on March 21-22, 2015.<ref name="wp3"> Tom Hamburger, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/03/21/rnc-donors-gathered-in-florida-hear-from-a-parade-of-would-be-presidents/ RNC donors gathered in Florida hear from a parade of would-be presidents], ''Washington Post'', March 21, 2015.</ref> The event was closed to the press so it is unknown who the donors in attendance were.<ref name="wp3"/> Following the event, Walker and other attendees went to "a Republican Governors Association fundraiser hosted by David Koch at his Palm Beach mansion."<ref name="wp3"/>
Walker attended and spoke at a GOP donors event at the Waldorf Astoria resort in Boca Raton, Florida on March 21-22, 2015.<ref name="wp3"> Tom Hamburger, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/03/21/rnc-donors-gathered-in-florida-hear-from-a-parade-of-would-be-presidents/ RNC donors gathered in Florida hear from a parade of would-be presidents], ''Washington Post'', March 21, 2015.</ref> The event was closed to the press so it is unknown who the donors in attendance were.<ref name="wp3"/> Following the event, Walker and other attendees went to "a Republican Governors Association fundraiser hosted by David Koch at his Palm Beach mansion."<ref name="wp3"/>
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*Ron Santella, hedge fund manager<ref name="cn"/>
*Ron Santella, hedge fund manager<ref name="cn"/>
*[[Thomas H. Patrick]], financier of New Vernon Capital<ref name="cn"/>
*[[Thomas H. Patrick]], financier of New Vernon Capital<ref name="cn"/>
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'''Illinois'''
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*[[Ken Griffin]], hedge fund manager and the founder and CEO of Citadel<ref name="huffy"> Paul Blumenthal, [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/28/2016-money-chase_n_6957888.html White House Wannabes Drawing 2016 Battle Lines In Furious Money Chase], ''Huffington Post'', March 28, 2015.</ref>
'''Minnesota'''
'''Minnesota'''
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'''New York'''
'''New York'''
*Anthony Scaramucci, founder and co-managing partner of SkyBridge Capital<ref name="WSJ"/>
*Anthony Scaramucci, founder and co-managing partner of SkyBridge Capital<ref name="WSJ"/>
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'''Tennessee'''
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*Andy Miller, health care venture capitalist<ref name="huffy"/>
'''Texas'''
'''Texas'''
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*Dan Blum, online communications consultant (associate of Liz Mair; worked on Walker's reelection in 2012)<ref name="cnn4"/>
*Dan Blum, online communications consultant (associate of Liz Mair; worked on Walker's reelection in 2012)<ref name="cnn4"/>
*Matt Hall, director of operations (former director of operations for 2012 [[Mitt Romney|Romney]] Presidential campaign)<ref> Steve Peoples, [http://host.madison.com/news/state-and-regional/romney-campaign-official-joins-gov-scott-walker-s-effort/article_5b802059-766b-51a9-8413-9a2e4c47f230.html#ixzz3VPT4KAlk Romney campaign official joins Gov. Scott Walker's effort], ''Madison.com'', March 25, 2015.</ref>
*Matt Hall, director of operations (former director of operations for 2012 [[Mitt Romney|Romney]] Presidential campaign)<ref> Steve Peoples, [http://host.madison.com/news/state-and-regional/romney-campaign-official-joins-gov-scott-walker-s-effort/article_5b802059-766b-51a9-8413-9a2e4c47f230.html#ixzz3VPT4KAlk Romney campaign official joins Gov. Scott Walker's effort], ''Madison.com'', March 25, 2015.</ref>
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*[[Jim Talent]], leading advisor on foreign policy and defense (former Senator from Missouri and former senior fellow at the [[American Enterprise Institute]])<ref> Erin McPike, [http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/26/politics/scott-walker-jim-talent-hire/ First on CNN: Jim Talent to Scott Walker's team], ''CNN'', March 26, 2015.</ref>
===Walker Finally Acknowledges Planning Run for President===
===Walker Finally Acknowledges Planning Run for President===