News

Court wants answers from Elections Board

The Wisconsin Supreme Court notified the lawyers for the State Elections Board that they have until 3 p.m. Monday to answer an appeal from gubernatorial candidate U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Wis., who is fighting to keep nearly a half-million dollars in contested campaign donations.

The order did not confirm whether the court would take the case, but requested the Department of Justice lawyers representing the SEB to provide information on 10 separate issues regarding the case.

Green's campaign lawyer Don Millis petitioned the court Monday to decide whether the Elections Board legally ordered the campaign to rid itself of $467,844 in donations from out-of-state political action committees not registered in Wisconsin.

The donations were part of nearly $1.3 million Green raised in his congressional campaign account and transferred to his state campaign account when he began running for governor. A day after the transfer, the board ruled gubernatorial campaigns can use only donations from PACs registered in the state.

Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle's campaign has accused Green of "desperately" searching for someone who will allow him to keep the donations.

"He has lost on the merits of his case many times," said Anne Lupardus, deputy press secretary for Doyle's campaign.

Though the case requires four of the seven justices to agree to hear the case, Millis said he hopes the court's action indicates the case will be decided before the Nov. 7 election.