Madison - A Milwaukee brewing heir and a state labor union contributed a quarter of a million dollars between April and June to groups that accept and spend unlimited and unregulated donations to influence federal elections, a Wisconsin Democracy Campaign analysis shows.

Contributions to 527 groups, which are named for the U.S. Internal Revenue Service law under which they are organized, totaled $447,193 in the second quarter of 2004. That was at least triple the total contributions in other quarters in the 2003-04 election cycle (see chart below) and pushed total Wisconsin contributions to national 527 groups in the first 18 months of the cycle to $1,002,340.

These groups, which include the more popularly known America Coming Together, Club for Growth, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and MoveOn.org, use these unlimited and unregulated contributions - known as soft money - to pay for negative broadcast advertising and mailings and voter registration drives.

There were 106 contributions made to 527s by 96 Wisconsin donors between April and June, putting the average contribution per donor at $4,658. That is more than double the $2,000 limit on direct contributions an individual can make to a federal candidate. Federal law prohibits corporations and unions from making contributions from their treasuries to federal candidates, but not to 527s. Wisconsin law also forbids such contributions to candidates for state office.

But earlier this month, two 527 groups - Democracy for America and the Progressive Majority - announced they would endorse and help the campaigns of at least 15 Democratic candidates for the Wisconsin Legislature.

Leading the list of Wisconsin contributors (see Table 1) in the second quarter of 2004 was Lynde Uihlein, a Milwaukee philanthropist and heir to the Schlitz Brewing and Allen-Bradley Corporation fortunes, who contributed $145,000 to American Coming Together on June 4. Uihlein has contributed a total of $151,000 to 527s between January 2003 and June 2004. In addition, she doled out an additional $50,000 on July 27 to the League of Conservation Voters in Washington, according to Federal Election Commission documents that show the group intends to make electioneering communications.

The Wisconsin Laborers District Council sent $112,060 to the Laborers Political League Education Fund, a Washington D.C.-based 527 group, during the three-month period. The union has used two of its funds to pump $190,039 to the League Education Fund from January 2003 through June 2004.

Terry Kohler, a conservative GOP Sheboygan businessman who owns Windway Capital Corporation, contributed $20,000 between April and June to bring his 2003-04 election cycle total contributions to 527s to $35,000 through June 30.

Terry Kohler, along with his wife Mary and their company, have contributed $76,500 mostly to two GOP 527s - the Club for Growth and GOPAC - from January 2003 through June 2004.

Another Club for Growth contributor, Fred Young of Racine, contributed $15,000 on June 7 to bring his election cycle total contributions to the group to $25,000 through June 30. Young is the retired president of Young Radiator and a long time active contributor to state candidates. He contributed $13,350 to candidates for statewide office and the Legislature between 1993 and 2003.

The latest quarterly reports filed by 527s put Wisconsin contributions to Democratic-leaning 527s ahead of contributions to Republican-leaning 527s for the first 18 months of the cycle - $557,043, or 56 percent, to $444,247, or 44 percent.

The bulk of Wisconsin contributions - $904,034 - from January 2003 through June 2004 went to seven 527 groups (see Table 2) - three Democratic-leaning groups and four GOP-leaning groups. They also are among the top 527 fundraisers nationally. Leading the list was the Laborers Political League Education Fund at $190,039 followed by the Republican Governors Association at $168,250 and the Democratic Governors Association at $159,550.

Earlier this month the FEC decided to start regulating 527 fundraising and spending activities in 2005 which means they are free to raise and spend unlimited money to affect federal elections in the November general election.