Contact: Brad Bainum
bradb@wisdems.org

New DPW research report documents Leah Vukmir’s record of working to let billionaire megadonors and corporate special interests hijack our democratic process

MADISON — The Democratic Party of Wisconsin today released a new research report highlighting Republican U.S. Senate candidate Leah Vukmir‘s record of supporting more money and less transparency in Wisconsin elections.

This month, Vukmir and her Senate campaign have faced at least two separate allegations of federal campaign finance law violations:

  1. In early October, Vukmir’s campaign faced allegations that her U.S. Senate campaign on 53 occasions improperly used funds from her state campaign committee to support her federal U.S. Senate campaign, a violation of federal campaign finance law. So far, Vukmir’s campaign has declined to explain the spending discrepancies.
  2. On October 25, Vukmir and her campaign were hit with a Federal Election Commission complaint which alleged that Vukmir and her campaign “improperly solicited contributions well in excess of the statutorily imposed limits” and “improperly coordinated public communications with Super PACs controlled by” billionaire Dick Uihlein. Vukmir’s campaign dismissed the complaint as a “trick,” but has so far declined to say whether they illegally coordinated with Uihlein and his groups.

Leah Vukmir’s clear disdain for restrictions on big money in politics is nothing new. In fact, throughout her career, Vukmir has a long track record of fighting transparency in political giving and working to ensure there is more — rather less — money in politics.

2018 Campaign

  • Vukmir OPPOSED public disclosure requirements for donors to nonprofit political advocacy groups.

2015-2016 Biennial

  • Vukmir SUPPORTED Wisconsin Republicans’ effort to give “campaign finance law its biggest makeover in decades.” The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel described the bill as putting a “Veil Over Campaign Funding In Wisconsin,” and the measure:
    • Eliminated the employer disclosure requirement for political contributors;
    • Doubled contribution limits to candidates for state and local office;
    • Allowed corporations to contribute to political parties and campaign committees;
    • Enabled political candidates to coordinate more closely with third-party groups; and,
    • Allowed unlimited contributions to certain political committees.
2013-2014 Biennial
  • Vukmir SUPPORTED legislation that loosened restrictions on lobbyists’ ability to donate to political candidates and increased the limit corporations may spend to solicit contributions.
2009-2010 Biennial
  • Vukmir OPPOSED legislation to allow local governments to enact ordinances limiting political contributions in local elections.
  • Vukmir OPPOSED establishing a public financing system for Wisconsin Supreme Court races.
  • Vukmir OPPOSED a bill setting limits on the total allowable disbursements from a publicly financed state Supreme Court campaign.
2007-2008 Biennial
  • Vukmir OPPOSED withdrawing from committee a bill that would have imposed additional campaign finance reporting requirements on state and local candidates.
  • Vukmir OPPOSED withdrawing from committee a bill that would have decreased public financing contribution limits and made changes to publicly financed campaigns.

Read the full DPW report — “Leah Vukmir Has Consistently Backed More Money in Politics, and Regularly Fought Transparency and Accountability” — HERE.

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