WI DEMOCRACY CAMPAIGN: Governor continues to rake in money from elite class of donors
Madison – Seventy-eight individuals and couples mostly from outside Wisconsin contributed nearly $1 million to legislative and statewide officeholders and candidates during the first six months of 2013, a Wisconsin Democracy Campaign review found.
This elite class of donors who contributed $10,000 or more is similar to “whales” – a gambling industry reference to an exclusive cache of wealthy high rollers who make big wagers and generally receive lavish comps from casinos to lure them back in the future.
These high rolling campaign donors, who contributed a total of $978,037, represent a wide range of influential special interests including business, manufacturing, banking and finance, insurance, health care, construction, energy, mining, school voucher and transportation (Table). And the comps these special interests get for their large contributions – state grants and contracts, low-interest loans, tax breaks, and looser environmental, consumer protection and other regulations – often come at the expense of what’s good for the pocketbooks or general well-being of the public.
The top recipient of this elite donor cash was Republican Governor Scott Walker who received $831,573 or 85 percent of their contributions. Walker has been on a mega-fundraising drive since 2011 when it became apparent there would be an attempt to recall him, which failed in 2012, and more recently on speculation he is a potential 2016 presidential candidate.
The governor’s haul from these high-rollers is staggering because state law limits individual contributions to the governor to $10,000 each. During the recall drive against him, the Democracy Campaign found Walker received $4.7 million from nearly three dozen mostly out-of-state donors who gave him between $50,000 and $510,000 each because state law also allows incumbents targeted for recall to accept unlimited contributions from individuals and political action committees before a recall election is scheduled.
Behind Walker was Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Patience Roggensack who received $80,415, or 8 percent of the contributions made by these donors in the first six months of 2013. Roggensack, who won a second 10-year term on the court in the spring elections, is technically a nonpartisan candidate but widely regarded as a member of the high court’s conservative bloc which holds a 4-3 majority.
Rounding out the top three recipients was GOP Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch – also the target of an unsuccessfully recall attempt in 2012 – who accepted $45,200 or 5 percent of the contributions made by these mega donors.
The Democracy Campaign review of these donors also found:
- Fourteen contributors have already exceeded the $10,000 annual limit on contributions they can make to all candidates. Campaign finance reports filed by the candidates show these contributors each made total contributions ranging from $10,100 to $18,250 during the first six months of 2013. The Democracy Campaign has asked the state Government Accountability Board, which enforces the state’s lobbying, elections and campaign finance laws, to investigate these contributions (see attached letter);
- Fifty-two of the 78 individuals or couples were from outside Wisconsin and their contributions to Walker and the others totaled $650,322 or 66 percent of the high-roller contributions;
- The most out-of-state contributions came from Texas at $195,073 followed by Illinois at $106,000, Missouri at $60,000; Florida at $50,000; and New York at $40,000.
Table
Top* Contributors To Candidates For Statewide Office And The Legislature
January – June 2013
Contributor | City | State | Employer | Amount |
---|---|---|---|---|
Ziegler, Stephen and Heather | Oconomowoc | WI | Inpro Corp | $25,000.00 |
Kellner, Ted and Mary | Thiensville | WI | Fiduciary Management/Kelben Foundation | $23,500.00 |
Couri, Gerald and Judith | Waukesha | WI | Couri Insurance Agency | $20,100.00 |
Smith, Thomas W and Diane | Palm Beach | FL | Prescott Investors Inc | $20,000.00 |
DeVos, Dick and Betsy | Grand Rapids | MI | Alticor/Windquest | $20,000.00 |
Dunn, Timothy and Terri | Midland | TX | CrownQuest | $20,000.00 |
Sinquefield, Jeanne and Rex | Westphalia | MO | Show-Me Institute | $20,000.00 |
McMahon, Brett and Allyson | Baltimore | MD | Miller & Long | $20,000.00 |
Mullett, Donald H and Barbara | Hartland | WI | Bradley Corp | $20,000.00 |
Goodman, John A and Cayenne | Frisco | TX | Goodman Family Foundation | $20,000.00 |
Hanley, William L and Alice | Palm Beach | FL | Lexington Management Group | $20,000.00 |
Kovner, Suzie and Bruce | New York | NY | Caxton Alternative Management LP | $20,000.00 |
Hiles, Marcus and Nancy | Fort Worth | TX | WRPS LP | $20,000.00 |
McNair, Janice and Robert | Houston | TX | Houston Texans | $20,000.00 |
James , Virginia | Lambertville | NJ | School choice | $18,250.00 |
Pederson, Tim and Laura | Hartland | WI | Diversified Benefit Services | $16,000.00 |
Williams, Clayton and Modesta | Midland | TX | Clayton Williams Energy Inc | $15,000.00 |
MacLean, Barry and Mary Ann | Mundelein | IL | MacLean-Fogg Co | $15,000.00 |
Wilkey, Richard and Susan | Hartland | WI | Fisher Barton Inc | $15,000.00 |
Mitchell, George and Susan | Whitefish Bay | WI | School Choice Wisconsin | $13,300.00 |
Kress, Carol J and Donald | Green Bay | WI | Retired | $13,000.00 |
Hillis, Jennifer and Robert | Milwaukee | WI | Direct Supply Inc | $12,500.00 |
Schuette, Ruth | Wausau | WI | Wausau Homes | $12,500.00 |
Mallinger, Gene E | Brookfield | WI | Metal-Era Inc | $12,000.00 |
Schierl, Paul J and Carol | De Pere | WI | Cornerstone Foundation or NE Wisconsin | $12,000.00 |
Uihlein, Richard and Elizabeth | Lake Forest | WI | U-Line Corp | $11,500.00 |
Nicholas, Albert | Hartland | WI | Nicholas Company Inc | $11,000.00 |
Hayden, Marilyn and Jerry | Scottsdale | AZ | Retired | $11,000.00 |
Bergstrom, John | Neenah | WI | Bergstrom Enterprises | $10,500.00 |
Roggensack, Matthew and Rebecca | Madison | WI | Dental Health Associates/Attorney | $10,264.67 |
Menard, John Jr R | Eau Claire | WI | Menards Inc | $10,250.00 |
Markos, Dennis A and Carol | Madison | WI | Sound Devices LLC | $10,200.00 |
Pfister, Richard | Hayward | WI | Midwest Stihl | $10,100.00 |
Stedman, Eliza and Stuart | Houston | TX | Stedman West Interests | $10,072.64 |
Graham, Kenneth R | Delafield | WI | HNTB Architects, Engineers, Planners | $10,000.00 |
Baxter, Frank | Los Angeles | CA | Jefferies & Co | $10,000.00 |
Harris, Robert H | Holmdel | NJ | Federal Research Consultants | $10,000.00 |
Keller Brown, Rachel and Travis | St Louis | MO | Pelopidas | $10,000.00 |
Herzog, Stanley M | St Joseph | MO | Herzog Contracting Corp | $10,000.00 |
Hill , Ron | Plano | TX | Goodman Networks | $10,000.00 |
Brown, Dale | Midland | TX | Legacy Reserves LP | $10,000.00 |
Lupo, Elizabeth | Park Ridge | IL | The Cradle | $10,000.00 |
Click, Vicki and Jim | Tucson | AZ | Jim Click Automotive Team | $10,000.00 |
Friess, Foster and Lynnette | Jackson | WY | Friess Associates Inc | $10,000.00 |
Canning, Michael G | Inverness | IL | CDW Corp | $10,000.00 |
Faulkner, Gordon and Judith | Madison | WI | Physician/Epic Systems | $10,000.00 |
Canning, Timothy M | Chicago | IL | Lemon Tree | $10,000.00 |
Mack, John J | Rye | NY | Morgan Stanley | $10,000.00 |
Divelbiss, Richard J | Madison | WI | Pizza Hut | $10,000.00 |
Childs, John W | Waltham | MA | JW Childs Associates | $10,000.00 |
Craft, Joe | Tulsa | OK | Alliance Coal LLC | $10,000.00 |
Gentine, Lawrence J | Fond du Lac | WI | Sargento Inc | $10,000.00 |
Sagui, Gary V | Wilmette | IL | Templar Securities | $10,000.00 |
Weber, Donald J | La Crosse | WI | Logistics Health Inc | $10,000.00 |
Warren, Kelcy | Dallas | TX | Energy Transfer | $10,000.00 |
Warren, Amy | Dallas | TX | Homemaker | $10,000.00 |
Walton, Christy | Jackson | WY | Walmart Stores | $10,000.00 |
Tippie, Henry | Austin | TX | Investor | $10,000.00 |
Stuart, Alexander D | Lake Forest | IL | North Star Investments | $10,000.00 |
Stephens, Warren A | Little Rock | AR | Stephens Inc | $10,000.00 |
Stallings, Kyle L | Midland | TX | Permian Basin Acquisition Fund | $10,000.00 |
Sparks, Kevin D | Midland | TX | Discovery Operating Inc | $10,000.00 |
Shannon, Mary Sue | Milwaukee | WI | Homemaker | $10,000.00 |
Lindemann, Frayda | New York | NY | Homemaker | $10,000.00 |
Schuette, Jay | Sugar Grove | IL | Wausau Homes | $10,000.00 |
Hotze, Steven F | Katy | TX | Hotze Health & Wellness Center | $10,000.00 |
Ricketts, Todd M | Wilmette | IL | Chicago Cubs | $10,000.00 |
Miezel, Larry | Denver | CO | Richmond American Homes | $10,000.00 |
McMahon, John | Bethesda | MD | Miller & Long | $10,000.00 |
Marcus, Bernard | Atlanta | GA | Retired | $10,000.00 |
Lindemann, George | West Palm Beach | FL | Retired | $10,000.00 |
Atkins, Sarah | Arlington | VA | TAMKO Building Products | $10,000.00 |
Leach, Timothy | Midland | TX | Concho Resources | $10,000.00 |
Kunkler, William | Chicago | IL | CC Industries | $10,000.00 |
Kubly, Michael | Milwaukee | WI | Charles E Kubly Foundation | $10,000.00 |
Humphreys, Ethelmae | Joplin | MO | TAMKO Building Products | $10,000.00 |
Humphreys, David C | Joplin | MO | TAMKO Building Products | $10,000.00 |
Shannon, Mike | Denver | CO | KSL Capital Partners | $10,000.00 |
TOTAL | $978,037.31 |
*Table shows individuals and couples who contributed $10,000 or more during the period.
For more info on the Wisconsin Wave's Shut the Chamber campaign to take back our government from big money, visit http://wisconsinwave.org/shut-chamber-wisconsin