The Wisconsin Ethics Commission has recommended that prosecutors file felony charges against Trump's Save America PAC, State Representative Janel Brandtjen, former GOP candidate Adam Sheen, and others for a scheme to avoid state campaign finance laws in order to flood Sheen's campaign to oust Speaker Robin Vos in 2022. The commission is so adamant that these people face charges that they have warned that if the charging process hasn't started in 60 days, the will make referrals to other district attorneys and/or the Attorney General.
In Wisconsin, the law is that a legislative candidate may receive only up to $1,000 from a donor. However, there is no limit on how much money can be given to a county party. Likewise, there is no limit on how much money a county party may give to a candidate.
With that in mind, Sheen, under the advise of Brandtjen, was advising donors who wanted to give more than a $1,000 to send that money to the Republican Parties of Langlade, Chippewa and Florence County. Furthermore, he told them to put the number "63" on the memo line of their check so that the county officers knew it was intended for his campaign. The number of Robin Vos's district is AD-63. Then when the county party received a donation from someone with that notation on it, they would turn around and send it directly to Sheen's campaign.
In other words, they were laundering money to help Sheen and his supporters circumvent campaign finance laws. In total, Sheen raked in over $40,000 of this laundered money. Trump's Save America PAC sent $5,000 to each county and earmarked it for Sheen.
People were donating so much money because they were angry that Robin Vos wouldn't even attempt to illegally negate the certified election results. Thus Vos went from schmoozing with Trump in a limo to becoming MAGA enemy #1. Trump himself even campaigned on Sheen's behalf.
As an interestingly side note, Mike "Pillow Guy":Lindell sent $4,000 to one of the counties, but screwed it up somehow so that they couldn't figure out what his intention for the money was.
As for Brandtjen, who is a big believer in The Big Lie, was right in the middle of it, and the commission has the receipts:
The commission alleges Brandtjen was one of several people providing advice to Steen's campaign, discussed the scheme with Steen and played a role in facilitating donations from Trump's PAC to the GOP parties in Chippewa, Florence and Langlade counties.
"There was at least one recorded conversation where she was discussing getting money fromSave America (PAC) to a county party," the commissioners wrote in the order. Brandtjen also donated $3,000 to the Langlade County GOP ahead of the primary.
"As a representative to the Assembly since 2014, Representative Brandtjen was well awarethat she could not give more than $1,000 to Friends of Adam Steen," commissioners said. "It is also clear that she was supporting Mr. Adam Steen and was aware of the arrangement between Friends of Adam Steen and the Republican Party of Langlade County."
The Chippewa County District Attorney has already opted out, claiming a conflict of interest since he is also a member of the Republican Party of Chippewa County. The Waukesha County District Attorney has asked for further information from the commission before making a decision on what to do.
Sheen and friends almost got away with it. In the 2022 primary, Vos beat Sheen by less than 300 votes.
The chef's kiss in this whole quandry is the fact that these extremely lax campaign finance laws which almost cost Vos his seat and has landed the co-conspirators to end up in hot water are a direct result of the Republicans when Scott Walker was still governor and the Republicans thought they were invulnerable.
