Legislative staffers prodded to campaign
2:06 PM 6/23/01
Dee J. Hall and Phil Brinkman Wisconsin State Journal
While legislative employees are frequently encouraged to lend their time to get their bosses re-elected, few are as organized as those working for Assembly Republicans, several former staffers said.
Even the name of their organization evokes a militant sense of order: SWARM, for Staff Working for an Assembly Republican Majority.
SWARM is run out of the offices of the Assembly Republican leadership each election cycle and is directed by Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen, R-Waukesha, former employees say.
Begun before the 1992 election, the group may have been a factor in the Republicans' recapture of the Assembly in 1994 after 24 years of Democratic domination. Since then, former staffers say, SWARM members have been instrumental in widening that Republican majority, which now stands at 56-43.
When he came to the Legislature nearly 20 years ago, former Assembly Republican aide Dan Young said staffers were encouraged to work on campaigns on their free time, if for no other reason than to keep their bosses - and themselves - employed.
Over time, he said, that escalated into pressure. By the 1998 election, he said, "Legislative employees were not necessarily asked, but told" to campaign.
State employees are prohibited from working on campaigns on state time or using state resources, such as offices, telephones and computers. Wisconsin's campaign finance law also forbids anyone - including legislators - from soliciting state employees for campaign contributions or services at their offices.
Yet, memos obtained by the Wisconsin State Journal showed SWARM memos were regularly sent out during the campaign season to staffers at their Capitol offices, urging them to work on specific campaigns and attend fund-raisers.
One 1997 memo advised Assembly Republican leaders to pressure staffers to increase the power of SWARM. It was written by then-Assembly Republican Caucus director Ray Carey to the leaders at the time - Reps. Steve Foti, R-Oconomowoc; Jensen; and Ben Brancel of Endeavor. Jensen and Foti continue to occupy the No. 1 and 2 leadership positions, respectively.
"Leadership should make it clear that (legislative) staff is required to volunteer for campaign work, and that they should specifically instruct their staff to do so," Carey said, adding that leaders "should prod legislators with nearly as much vigor as if they were asking them for a financial contribution."
In a 1998 memo from Jensen to fellow Assembly Republicans after he became speaker, the message was repeated.
"Make sure that each of you and your staffs are doing their parts," the memo said. "If you have staff sitting in the office back in Madison, get them out in the field for a day or two every week to help our candidates. There are a lot of races out there this fall that are ours for the taking. But they will only be won if everybody gets involved and does their part."
In response to questions from the State Journal, Jensen praised the work by legislative aides but denied the activity took place on state time.
"The activities of SWARM are done on personal time. The information they share is a courtesy to members and staff," Jensen said in a written statement. "Members and staff are understandably interested in their colleagues' events and activities and often wish to attend or participate."