DA delegates one probe
2:06 PM 6/08/01
Phil Brinkman State government reporter
Dane County District Attorney Brian Blanchard has removed himself from part of his office's investigation into the legislative caucuses after revealing one of the caucuses helped him in his election campaign.
Blanchard said Thursday that someone at the Senate Democratic Caucus helped him put together a nomination form last June at the caucus's office at 1 S. Pinckney St.
Although the work "could not have taken more than a total of about 30 minutes," Blanchard said he had no idea at the time that the person was a state employee or that he was visiting a state office.
"Had I known that the person was a state employee personally working with state equipment, I would not have taken the assistance," Blanchard said.
Campaigning on state time or with state resources could violate state ethics laws and campaign finance laws. A recent Wisconsin State Journal series on the caucuses found such activity has been widespread.
Blanchard's experience is a further indication of the caucuses' role in political campaigns, even for those not running for state office. Blanchard, a political neophyte, said he was steered to the caucus by other Democrats advising him on his campaign. He said he understood the office to be an organ of the Democratic Party, not a part of state government.
His comments are consistent with those of other candidates interviewed by the State Journal, many of whom said they were unaware they were receiving help from a taxpayer-supported body.
"It was only with the recent publication of the State Journal series that I have learned that this person had to have been a state employee," Blanchard said.
As part of that series, the newspaper revealed that employees at the Assembly Republican Caucus may have destroyed or hid campaign documents to keep them from falling under an open records request.
After that story ran, Blanchard announced he was investigating possible violations of the Open Records Law by the Assembly Republican Caucus.
On Thursday, Blanchard confirmed that his office also has been working with other state agencies in reviewing evidence of wrongdoing by all four of the caucuses. The focus of that probe is the underlying assertion that caucus staff may have violated state ethics and campaign finance laws by campaigning on state time from their state offices.
Blanchard said his office would retain authority to investigate and pursue charges, if warranted, against three of the offices: the Assembly Democratic Caucus, the Assembly Republican Caucus and the Senate Republican Caucus.
But he said he has named Milwaukee County District Attorney E. Michael McCann to act as a special prosecutor in any investigation into the Senate Democratic Caucus.
"I do not think that I would be biased in reviewing evidence and making prosecution decisions related to the SDC," Blanchard said. "But there is no room for doubt about the impartiality of a prosecutor in seeking a fair and just outcome in any case."
Leaders of two of the caucuses - Senate Minority Leader Mary Panzer, R-West Bend, and Assembly Minority Leader Spencer Black, D-Madison - have said they had no direct knowledge of campaign activity by caucus employees on state time and using state resources.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Chvala, D-Madison, and Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen, R-Waukesha, have not addressed whether such activity goes on.