Amid a flurry of questionable campaign-finance cases in the state, a non-partisan government watchdog group divulged Wednesday U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Wis., failed to disclose information about almost $400,000 in contributions made to his campaign.
Green, who is a leading contender for the Republican ticket for the 2006 gubernatorial elections, is the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign's second target in two weeks. The watchdog group previously raised questions about donations given to Gov. Jim Doyle's campaign.
According to information released by the WDC, the State Elections Board allowed Green to transfer $1.3 million from his federal congressional campaign account to a state account. Of this money, WDC found $387,098 in donations that did not have the proper disclosure information required by the state.
"Among [the total] contributions were 699 contributions that were over $100 for which there was no occupation or employer information," WDC Executive Director Mike McCabe said. "That is not in keeping with state law."
State law requires candidates for office to provide occupation and employer information about donors who contribute more than $100 to their campaign funds.
"That's critically important," McCabe said. "It is the backbone of campaign-finance disclosure because it's the only way that people can know the financial interests of those donors."
Citizens can then be more aware how "favors" donors may receive are related to public policy, McCabe added, calling the law the "heart and soul of campaign disclosure."
The information has fueled Green's opponents, who have already called Green's transfer of federal funds to his state campaign into question. Many Democrats have also decried Green's attainment of contributions from the recently indicted U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas.
"Now we are learning yet another reason why Mark Green should not have been able to launder his $1.3 million in special-interest money into Wisconsin to use in his campaign for governor," Joe Wineke, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, said in a release. "Not only is Green trying to use money that is now illegal in Wisconsin, he is also trying to hide who is giving him this money."
However, Mark Graul, Green's campaign manager, said the campaign group did disclose the information in his federal report of contributions and was not hiding anything.
"Both in a letter and in the press release, [WDC] concedes that Mark actually did disclose all of this information. It's just on his federal campaign-finance report," Graul said.
Additionally, Graul said Green was told he had gone "above and beyond" what was required of him in the federal report of his campaign funds.
WDC also stated in its release that the Elections Board does not mandate candidates to file "a complete public disclosure" for funds transferred from a federal account to a state campaign account.
"Mark Green did what the State Elections Board told him to do," Graul said. "I'm not sure why they are implying otherwise."
McCabe conceded the Elections Board should change policies regarding their enforcement of campaign-disclosure rules. However, he added Green should be willing to share such information.
Despite this, WDC wrote Green a letter requesting he file an amended report that includes the missing information.
"If he doesn't do that, we will consider filing a formal complaint with the State Elections Board," McCabe said.
