Wisconsin ethics board: Dems can use campaign funds to pay for life on lam

[gkhouston]

Source: Washington Examiner

One still-unanswered question in the Wisconsin budget standoff is who is paying the expenses -- hotel, transportation, etc. -- of the 14 Senate Democrats who fled the state rather than allow debate and a vote on Gov. Walker's budget proposal. "We have no idea how they're funding their out-of-state costs," a Republican Senate aide said a few days ago. "We would love to know."

Now, it turns out at least one of the fleeing Democrats asked the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, the state's key interpreter of campaign and ethics laws, for an opinion on whether Democrats can use campaign funds to pay their expenses in exile. The Board said yes.

Read more: http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/2011/03/wisconsin-ethics-board-dems-can-use-campaign-funds-pay-life-lam

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Walker shot himself in the foot here. I love it!

[Kingofalldems]

1. I like it

K and R

[Myrina]

2. LOL, the Republicans 'have no idea' because they never pay for their own stuff ...

... they're so used to being bought and paid for that if it would come to paying for something on their own, they'd be screwn.

[Lindsay]

3. Nice to see some good news

for a change!

[DesertDiamond]

4. Paying their way so they can really do what we elected them to do - stand up for us! RIGHT ON!!!

[groundloop]

5. Time to go to ActBlue and make a contribution !!!

[Omaha Steve]

6. Wonderful news! (Act Blue link)

It's time to kick into their Act Blue account again: http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/16403

K&R!

[savalez]

7. Boom. This is now long term.

Long enough for them to wait for the Pubs to be recalled.

:fistbump:

[CLANG]

8. Wanker is an idiot!

In other words, the Board said that since Walker accused Democrats of using their self-imposed exile to raise campaign contributions, then that exile is in fact campaign-related and Democrats may use campaign funds to finance it. The Board also noted that several of the hiding Democrats now face recall petitions, which means that the contributions they can accept to finance their time on the lam are not subject to limits that apply to other types of contributions. Of course, the Democratic senators did not flee the state because they face recall petitions; they face recall petitions because they fled the state. Nevertheless, the Board says using campaign money to pay for hotels and other expenses in exile is permitted.

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/2011/03/wisconsin-ethics-board-dems-can-use-campaign-funds-pay-life-lam#ixzz1FZZebUX7

[Q3JR4]

9. I think that will convince anyone following

this issue outside the state to donate money to the 14 Democrats.

:) :thumbsup:

Q3JR4.

[Javaman]

10. How do we donate to their campaigns? :) nt

[gkhouston]

11. :-) see post #6 for link. n/t