Walker Donations Undergo Sex Change

Governor Scott Walker recently amended his campaign finance report for the first six months of 2013 to lower contributions made by some of his high-end donors in order to protect them from being found in violation of campaign finance law.

The governor’s actions followed a report by the Democracy Campaign in September that showed 14 contributors to statewide and legislative candidates had already exceeded the state’s annual $10,000 limit on campaign contributions in just the first half of the year. The Government Accountability Board, which enforces the state’s campaign finance, ethics, lobbying and election laws, told the Democracy Campaign that it will investigate the findings early next year.

Meanwhile, Walker’s latest campaign finance report has already reduced the original contributions to him by six of those individuals by treating the difference between the original and the reduced contributions as entirely new donations from the individual’s spouse. The gender reassignments now put total contributions by these six people under the $10,000 limit. Here’s how Walker did it:

Donald Kress, Green Bay, had contributed $11,000 to three candidates, including $5,000 to Walker. The governor’s latest report slashes Kress’s contribution in half and assigns the $2,500 difference as a new contribution from Kress’s wife, Carol.

Eugene Mallinger, Brookfield, had contributed $12,000 to two candidates, including $10,000 to the governor. Walker’s latest report cuts Mallinger’s contribution in half and assigns the $5,000 difference as a new contribution from Mallinger’s wife, Rebecca.

Albert Nicholas, Chenequa, had contributed $11,000 to two candidates, including $10,000 to Walker. The governor’s latest report reduces Nicholas’s contribution to $9,000 and assigns the $1,000 difference as a new contribution from Nicholas’s wife, Nancy.

Richard Pfister, Hayward, had contributed $10,100 to two candidates, including $10,000 to the governor. Walker’s latest report reduces Pfister’s contribution to $9,900 and assigns the $100 difference as a new contribution from Pfister’s wife, Terry.

Paul Schierl, Green Bay, had contributed $11,500 to six candidates, including $5,000 to Walker. The governor’s latest report reduces Schierl’s contribution to $3,500 and assigns the $1,500 difference as a new contribution from Schierl’s wife, Carol.

Richard Uihlein, Lake Forest, Illinois, had contributed $10,500 to two candidates, including $10,000 to the governor. Walker’s latest report slashes Uihlein’s contribution in half and assigns the $5,000 difference as a new contribution from Uihlein’s wife, Elizabeth.

As strange – and unfair – as this may sound to casual readers who don’t follow campaign finance, Walker and other legislative and statewide officeholders and candidates have done this numerous times over the years.

Unfortunately, it’s usually allowed because the former state Elections Board and now the GAB decided that many of these donations can be split or readjusted after the fact because the state’s marital property law.

Kind of like telling the cop who stops you for speeding that you want half the fine and the points assigned to your spouse’s driving record because you both own the car.

Yeah, I bet that would work.