Wisconsin

Wisconsin Supreme Court Ethics Issues May Lead D.A. to Re-Open Collective Bargaining Suit

Following reports that Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman received tens of thousands of dollars of free legal services from the law firm that defended Governor Scott Walker's collective bargaining bill, the District Attorney who brought the original challenge may ask the Court to hear the case again without the justice's participation. Gableman has faced a series of ethical issues since taking office.

New Report Details ALEC Influence in Arizona

ALEC Exposed - A project of CMDLast year, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) attracted attention when reporters revealed Arizona's SB1070 anti-immigration law was pre-approved by ALEC corporations that stood to benefit from its passage. As ALEC's legislative and corporate members descend upon Arizona for meetings this week, a new report (pdf) shows that ALEC's influence in Arizona goes beyond SB1070 to include bills that suppress voting, attack worker's rights, privatize public education, and limit environmental protections.

Voices from Around Wisconsin Weigh in on Recall

The Recall Begins NowToday in Madison, Wisconsin, upwards of 30,000 demonstrators gathered to kick off a petition drive to recall Wisconsin governor Scott Walker and to protest policies that have had direct impacts on workers throughout the state.

"We're Afraid He'll Lose His Job"

Among the tens of thousands gathered were Sue and Tom Roberts from the Waukesha area, Walker's hometown. Sue is disabled, and the health insurance that Tom gets through his job as a custodian for the Waukesha School District covers them both -- for now. Tom has a one-year contract, and Sue says, "We're afraid he's going to lose his job because of my health problems."

Walker Recall Gets Underway with Pajama Parties and Sabotage

The effort to recall Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker begins today, and organizers and volunteers are readying their clipboards to begin collecting more than half a million signatures throughout the holiday season. But as volunteers celebrated the launch at midnight "recall-themed" pajama parties, the many challenges ahead were underscored by a deliberate, grinch-like cyber-attack on a key recall website.

CMD's Quick Guide to the Mark Block "Blocktopus"

by Brendan Fischer and Sara Jerving

The Center for Media and Democracy filed a letter this week requesting that the Internal Revenue Service investigate Prosperity USA, a charity founded by Herman Cain's Chief of Staff Mark Block, for potentially violating the Internal Revenue Code by fronting tens of thousands of dollars worth of Mr. Cain's campaign travel expenses. But Prosperity USA is only one node in a network of charities and nonprofit organizations associated with Mr. Block, the former head of the Wisconsin arm of the Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity.

CMD Requests IRS Investigate Charity Accused of Fronting Private Jets for Presidential Campaign

PRESS RELEASE, NOVEMBER 7, 2011

CONTACT: NIKOLINA LAZIC (312) 731-1292

Madison -- Today, the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) filed a letter requesting that the Internal Revenue Service investigate a charity operated by Wisconsin political veteran Mark Block that spent over $40,000 of tax-exempt donations to pay for private jets, travel, and computers for Herman Cain's presidential bid. CMD also requested an examination of other Mark Block-related groups sharing the same address or other commonalities. Mr. Cain, who has denied knowing who paid for his various travels, is not the target of these requests to the IRS.

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