A Muskego man filed the first recall effort against Gov. Scott Walker Friday, a move some suspect to be a ploy by supporters to allow Walker to raise campaign funds earlier.
According to paperwork filed with the Government Accountability Board, it was filed by a committee called “Close Friends to Recall Walker.” David Brandt, treasurer of the committee, filed the paperwork and checked a box that stated he would not raise more than $1,000 in the calendar year. In the paperwork, Brandt wrote his intent to file the recall papers was “to fulfill my friend’s last request.
Brandt contributed $50 to Walker’s election campaign in fall 2010.
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin has been preparing for a Nov. 15 date to begin their recall effort against the governor.
An official can begin to raise unlimited campaign funds as soon as paperwork for a recall effort against them has been filed, according to Reid Magney, spokesperson for GAB.
Cullen Werwie, Walker’s spokesperson, said in an email to The Badger Herald he was unaware of the effort. The Republican Party of Wisconsin did not return calls as of press time.
Rep. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, said the paperwork brings an “unfair” aspect of recall elections to light.
“One of the aspects of the recall is the loophole that allows politicians who are being recalled to raise unlimited funds while the petitions are being circulated,” Roys said. “Campaign finance laws exist to make sure nobody’s voice is drowned out. We have campaign limits for a reason, and this loophole makes a mockery of those laws.”
Roys said the ability to raise unlimited funds in a recall campaign sends citizens the message that government does not matter, because politicians will only listen to their corporate contributors that support them the most financially.
Roys recently authored legislation to end the unlimited funds allowed to politicians undergoing recall elections. At this time, the legislation has not received a hearing in either house.
“We’re creating a situation in which potential campaign finance limits that allowed citizens’ voices to be heard will be meaningless,” Roys said.
Charles Franklin, University of Wisconsin political science professor, expressed surprise an individual had filed a recall effort.
“Stop saying things can’t get any crazier in Wisconsin, because obviously they can,” Franklin said.
According to Franklin, more than one organization has filed paperwork in past Senate recalls. He said if Walker supporters had filed the recall effort, the extra time it would give Walker to fundraise is modest.
“I don’t see that there’s much benefit to the governor by having an extra week to fundraise,” Franklin said. “That’s not a huge percentage of the time.”
He said although Walker would gain little extra time to fundraise, the effort could be a strategy to confuse people about the recalls.
“It’s very hard to see that anyone on the pro-recall side would see an advantage in jumping the gun when there’s going to be an organized effort,” Franklin said. “That does raise questions of who the person is that’s filing, what is their relationship [with the governor] and what is their motive in doing it.”
