Groups call for probe of caucuses
2:04 PM 5/23/01
Dee J. Hall and Phil Brinkman Wisconsin State Journal
Two watchdog groups called for an investigation Tuesday into allegations that legislative employees regularly campaign out of their state offices, in apparent violation of state law.
The allegations were contained in a three-part Wisconsin State Journal series that began Sunday examining the activities of the four legislative caucuses.
On Tuesday, the State Journal also reported that members of the Assembly Republican Caucus worked with an independent political group in ads attacking Democratic candidates, possibly violating state campaign finance laws.
"We call on you to immediately investigate the apparent violations ... and quickly move to severely punish those who have broken the law," Mike McCabe, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, said in a letter to the state Elections Board.
In a separate letter to the state Ethics Board, McCabe said the activities described by the newspaper "are not only a gross misuse of taxpayer funds, but also a clear violation of state ethics laws."
Jay Heck, executive director of Common Cause in Wisconsin, echoed McCabe's call, noting that the activities in the series suggest "serious" violations of several laws. Heck said if regulators from the two state boards don't initiate investigations, his organization will file a formal complaint.
"This is something that has to be followed through and will be followed through," Heck said. "This series raises questions - too many questions - that have to be answered."
Roth Judd, executive director of the Ethics Board, and Kevin Kennedy, executive director of the Elections Board, couldn't be reached Tuesday.
Three of the four legislative leaders ultimately responsible for the caucuses have refused to comment on the State Journal's findings. None responded to a request for comment Tuesday regarding the calls for an investigation.
Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen, R-Waukesha, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Chvala, D-Madison, and Senate Minority Leader Mary Panzer, R-West Bend, all continued to decline comment.
McCabe said he's not surprised by the silence because secret campaigning by the caucuses benefits the leadership.
Assembly Minority Leader Spencer Black, D-Madison, said the newspaper's series underscores the need for a top-to-bottom review of the caucuses that he said he ordered shortly after taking over from Shirley Krug, D-Milwaukee, earlier this month. Black said he wants to see how useful the caucuses are and how much legislators rely on them.