The Wisconsin Ethics Commission has recommended that state prosecutors bring felony charges against former President Donald Trump's fundraising committee and a Republican state lawmaker in connection with the effort to oust House Speaker Robin Vos. The Ethics Commission on Tuesday referred the alleged violations to multiple county prosecutors. Based on documents provided by the committee on Friday, the committee said Trump's fundraising committee and Trump ally, state Rep. Janelle Blancchen, are arranging for a Republican primary challenger to his boss in 2022. They allege they conspired to circumvent campaign finance laws in order to help. The move comes after Vos fired a former state Supreme Court justice whom Vos had hired to investigate allegations of fraud in the 2020 presidential election that infuriated Trump. Vos launched an investigation under pressure from President Trump, but ultimately distanced himself from false claims of election fraud and calls to overturn President Joe Biden's victory in Wisconsin. Mr. Trump and Mr. Blancchen endorsed Adam Steen, Vos's main opponent. When President Trump endorsed Steen just before the 2022 primary, he called him a “driven patriot.” Vos, the longest-serving speaker of the Legislature in Wisconsin history, defeated Steen in the primary by just 260 votes. Mr. Steen is currently supporting efforts to remove Mr. Vos from office. The Ethics Committee alleges that Republican Branjen, president of President Trump's Save America Political Action Committee, said: Officials from three counties and Steen's campaign conspired to circumvent state funding restrictions to defeat Boss, pumping at least $40,000 into the bid. The Ethics Commission recommended charges against Trump's fundraising committee, Blancchen, the Steen campaign, and eight others. and three county Republicans. If the county prosecutor does not initiate charges within 60 days, the commission said it will transfer the case to another district attorney or the Wisconsin Department of Justice. The committee alleges those involved took advantage of a Wisconsin law that allows unlimited donations to political parties, and illegally funneled the funds to Steen. State law caps individual contributions to congressional candidates at $1,000. The Ethics Commission alleges that Steen and the Board of Elections directed supporters who wanted to donate $1,000 or more to donate to the Langlade County Republican Party by writing “63” in the memo field. That's the number for the Congressional district in which Steen was running. According to the Ethics Commission, Steen's campaign committee received more than $40,000 from the Langlade County Republican Party. Langlade County Republican Party Chairman Terry Bland said the money was used to defeat him. “Other than challenging Robin Vos, I don't think we did anything illegal or wrong,” Brand said. “Robin Vos wants to send a message to anyone considering running against him to stay out of his business.” The commission alleges that Mr. Steen and his campaign received a $5,000 donation from Mr. Trump's Save America PAC through the Chippewa County Republican Party. . Save America sent an additional $5,000 to the Florence County Republican Party, and Republican officials were instructed to send the money to Langlade County, the ethics commission said. According to the Ethics Commission, the former finance director of the Florence County Republican Party later told investigators: The fact that we thought this sounds like money laundering to me. Have we really done something terrible? The commission alleges that Blancchen, Voss and Steen participated in a scheme to secretly channel donations to the county Republican party as part of an effort to oust Voss. , and the Trump campaign did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. The commission dismissed charges against MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, who participated in the scheme by donating $4,000 to the Langlade County Republican Party a week before the primary. He said there may have been one person, but there was not enough evidence to recommend prosecution. WisPolitics.com first reported the allegations.
The Wisconsin Ethics Commission has recommended that state prosecutors file felony charges against former President Donald Trump's fundraising committee and a Republican state lawmaker in connection with the effort to unseat House Speaker Robin Vos.
The Ethics Commission on Tuesday referred the alleged violations to multiple county prosecutors based on documents the commission filed Friday.
The committee claims that Mr. Trump's fundraising committee and state Rep. Janelle Blancchen, a Mr. Trump ally, conspired to raise campaign funds to support Mr. Vos's 2022 Republican primary challenger. He claims he hatched a plan to evade the law.
Vos infuriated Trump after he fired a former state Supreme Court justice he hired to investigate allegations of fraud by Trump in the 2020 presidential election. Vos launched the investigation under pressure from President Trump, but ultimately distanced himself from false claims of election fraud and attempts to overturn President Joe Biden's victory in Wisconsin.
Mr. Trump and Mr. Blancchen endorsed Adam Steen, Vos's main opponent. When President Trump endorsed Steen just before the 2022 primary, he called him a “driven patriot.” Vos, the longest-serving speaker in Wisconsin history, defeated Steen in the primary by just 260 votes.
Mr. Steen is currently supporting efforts to remove Mr. Vos from office.
The Ethics Commission alleges that Blancchen of Trump's Save America political action committee, three county Republican leaders, and Steen's campaign conspired to circumvent state funding restrictions to defeat Voss. They allege that they conspired to do so and put at least $40,000 into the bid.
The Ethics Commission recommended charges against the Trump fundraising committee, Blancchen, Steen's campaign, eight others and the county's three Republican parties. The commission announced that if the county prosecutor does not initiate charges within 60 days, it will transfer the case to another district attorney or the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
The commission alleges those involved took advantage of a Wisconsin law that allows unlimited donations to political parties and illegally directed the funds to Steen. State law limits her personal contributions to congressional candidates to $1,000.
The Ethics Commission alleges that Steen and the Board of Elections directed supporters who wanted to donate $1,000 or more to donate to the Langlade County Republican Party by writing “63” in the memo field. That's the number for the Congressional district in which Steen was running.
According to the Ethics Commission, Steen's campaign committee received more than $40,000 from the Langlade County Republican Party.
Langude County Republican Party Chairman Terry Brand said the money was used to defeat Vos, but he doesn't believe it was illegal.
“Other than challenging Robin Vos, I don't think we did anything illegal or wrong,” Brand said. “Robin Vos wants to send a message to anyone thinking of running against him to stay out of their business.”
The Ethics Commission also alleges that Steen and his campaign received a $5,000 donation from President Trump's Save America PAC through the Chippewa County Republican Party. The commission said Save America sent an additional $5,000 to the Florence County Republican Party, and Republican officials were instructed to send the money to Langlade County.
The former treasurer of the Florence County Republican Party later told investigators, “We thought after the fact, this looks like money laundering,” the Ethics Commission said. Have we really done something terrible? That's what we felt. ”
The commission alleges that Mr. Blancchen participated in a scheme to secretly divert donations to the county Republican Party as part of Mr. Vos's ouster.
Neither Blancchen, Vos, Steen nor the Trump campaign immediately responded to messages seeking comment.
The commission dismissed charges against MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, who participated in the scheme by donating $4,000 to the Langlade County Republican Party a week before the primary. He said there may have been one person, but there was not enough evidence to recommend prosecution.
WisPolitics.com first reported the allegations.
