Hijacking Campaign 2025 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Campaign 2025
Posted: January 17, 2025
Updated: March 30, 2025
This is a group created in 2003 by David and Charles Koch, the billionaire owners of Koch Industries and Wisconsin-based papermaker Georgia-Pacific. Americans for Prosperity first got involved in Wisconsin state politics through the medium of "issue ads" in 2006 and first reporting independent expenditures in 2018. Between 2010 and 2024 the group spent over $23.3 million on issue ads and independent expenditures combined to influence Wisconsin state elections.
In mid-December 2024, the group first reported independent expenditures in the 2025 Wisconsin State Supreme Court election with over $134,000 going towards online advertising, canvassing and campaign literature to support former Republican Wisconsin Attorney General and current Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Brad Schimel’s bid for a vacant seat on the Wisconsin State Supreme Court.
Schimel faces Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford in the April 1st election, an election that will decide the ideological direction of the high court. Control of the court flipped from conservatives to liberals in the last court election held in 2023 and the retiring justice is a member of the current 4-3 liberal majority.
At the end of the first full week in January, Americans for Prosperity reported spending more than a $1 million for online advertising and canvassing expenses. A week later it reported spending more than another $124,800 for canvassing and doorhangers.
At the beginning of February, it reported spending over another $15,000 for canvassing in the high court election.
A week into February, the committee reported spending over $30,400 for digital ad production and placement in support of Schimel. A few days later it reported spending over $76,500 for mailers and doorhangers.
At the end of the second week in February, the group reported spending over $72,400 for mailers supporting Schimel. A day after the spring primaries on February 18 it reported spending about another $83,000 for canvassing, doorhangers and mailers in support of Schimel.
At the beginning of the last week in February, Americans for Prosperity reported spending about another $72,400 for mailers opposing Crawford and supporting Schimel.
At the end of February, it reported spending over $109,200 for online advertising opposing Crawford and backing Schimel.
In the first week of March, the committe reported spending over $412,000 for online advertising (here, here and here) and canvassing costs in opposition to Crawford and in support of Schimel.
At the end of the first week in March, it reported spending over $153,000 for mailers and online advertising to support Schimel and oppose Crawford.
About three weeks before the April 1st elections, Americans for Prosperity spent over $110,900, mostly on mailers, to oppose Crawford and support Schimel. Four says later, it reported nearly another $135,000 for mailers against Crawford and for Schimel.
Thirteen days before the election, the group reported spending about $190,000 for canvassing, mailers and online advertising to back Schimel and oppose Crawford.
Eleven days from the April election, the committee reported nearly $202,000 spent for canvassing, mailers and digital ad production costs to support Schimel and oppose Crawford in the court race.
Five days until the election, Americans for Prosperity reported another $22,000 towards canvassing to back Schimel.
With three days remaining until election day, it reported another $150,250 spent on canvassing.
Last active election: 2024
This organization is an unregistered independent expenditure committee that is required to report any such spending done within 60 days of a primary or an election to the Wisconsin Ethics Commission per Chapter 11, Subchapter X of Wisconsin Statutes.