Hijacking Campaign 2022 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Offices | Campaign 2022

Posted: September 27, 2022
Updated: March 25, 2024

Oath • Spending

This is an unregistered political committee run by the Milwaukee-based Voces de la Frontera, an immigrant rights group that provides legal and employment services and citizenship and language training to immigrant and low-wage workers.

Voces first made indpendent expenditures in the 2022 fall election in the preceding March, when it spent about $270 for yard signs to support Democratic incumbent Gov. Tony Evers.

The group next made independent expenditurs towards the end of September when it reported spending about $560 to support all the Democratic candidates for state constitutional office plus the Democratic incumbent in Wisconsin State Senate District 31. Three days later it reported spending nearly $20,000 on radio ads to support Evers.

By the end of the first week in October, Voces reported its most substantial campaign expenditure yet when it reported spending $260,000, mostly for campaign staff, in support of the previously mentioned candidates.

Four weeks before the Nov. 8 election, the committee reported $3,500 for radio ads to back Evers and, about a week later, another $1,400 to support all the Democratic constitutional candidates.

Two weeks before the election, Voces reported spending over $40,000 for mailers, online and radio advertising to support all Democratic constitutional office candidates as well as a couple of Democratic legislative incumbents, Jeff Smith in the 31st State Senate and Kristina Shelton in the 90th Assembly.

Twelve days before the election, it reported spending about another $1,500 for emails and brochures to support the Democratic slate for state constitutional offices.

In the last week of the campaign, Voces reported spending over another $126,000 for canvassing, radio and online adveristing.

Last active election: 2020

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.

Hijacking Campaign 2022 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Offices | Campaign 2022

Posted: September 29, 2022
Updated: March 22, 2024

Oath • Spending

This Washington D.C. group supports Democratic candidates for federal and state offices. Between 2016 and 2000 it spent over $2 million in both partisan and non-partisan Wisconsin elections. It has done all its spending through "unregistered" committees, meaning it does not need to report its sources of income to the Wisconsin Ethics Commission, the state agency that monitors and regulates campaign spending.

For Our Future first reported independent spending in the 2022 elections in late September, reporting over $83,000 for phone banks, canvassing, online advertising and other "digital communication services" (most likely phone texts) in the races for governor, attorney general, lieutenant governor as well as four state senate and nine state assembly districts.

Three days before the November 8 elections, the group reported spending nearly $307,000 for canvassing, phone calls, online advertising and campaign literature in the races for governor and attorney general along with several senate and assembly races. About $250,000 of that sum was devoted to supporting Democratic incumbent Attorney General Josh Kaul.

Last active election: 2020

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.

Hijacking Campaign 2022 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Offices | Campaign 2022

Posted: October 6, 2022
Updated: March 22,2024

Oath • Spending

This is the first year this unregistered Washington, DC based committee has reported independent expenditures in Wisconsin. BlackPAC's self-avowed mission is to mobilize Black voters to elect state officials nationwide in order to advance Black rights and combat white supremacy. While not registered with the state of Wisconsin, BlackPAC is registered with the Federal Elections Commission.

Towards the end of the first week in October, BlackPAC first reported spending in the state's governor's race with nearly $4,500 spent in support of incumbent Democratic Gov. Tony Evers who faced Republican challenger and businessman Tim Michels.

In the weeks leading up to the election it spent over another $132,000 on canvassing and text messages to support Evers.

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.

Hijacking Campaign 2022 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Offices | Campaign 2022

Posted: October 6, 2022
Updated: March 22, 2024

Oath • Spending

Republican Accountability PAC is a Washington, DC based committee formed by disenchanted Republicans and conservatives to oppose anti-democracy GOP candidates nationwide. Aside from Wisconsin, the group's website indicates it was also involved in gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races in Michigan, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Georgia.

Towards the end of the first week of October, the committee first reported spending over $480,000 on television ads opposing Republican Tim Michels for governor. Michels was challenging Democratic incumbent Gov. Tony Evers. The ads - here and here - feature people who claimed to be former Republicans saying that Michels is too extreme to be governor of Wisconsin.

Over the course of the month it reported spending over another half a million dollars for online advertisements opposing Michels.

A week before the election, two ads by the group appeared - here and here - that featured people who claim to be Republicans criticizing election deniers as a threat to democracy.

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.

Hijacking Campaign 2022 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Offices | Campaign 2022

Posted: October 7, 2022
Updated: March 22, 2024

Oath • Spending

This federal SuperPAC was first and last active in Wisconsin as an unregistered political committee in 2018 when it spent over $400,000 in the gubernatorial election that year. It's part of a group called NextGen America, an environmental advocacy organization founded by San Francisco billionaire and hedge fund manager Tom Steyer. Steyer and his group support Democratic candidates.

Towards the end of the first week in October, the committee reported spending over $3,000 for brochures to support Democratic incumbents Gov. Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul, and Secretary of State Doug La Follette.

It later spent about another $57,000 for campaign literature in support of the three incumbents.

Last active election: 2018

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.

Hijacking Campaign 2022 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Offices | Campaign 2022

Posted: October 10, 2022
Updated: March 22, 2024

Oath • Spending

This committee makes independent expenditures in Wisconsin elections for the Virginia-based American Majority Action. The group, which was created in 2010, recruits and supports conservative candidates for state and local races across the country. The group first appeared in Wisconsin state elections, using a different committee, during the 2012 recall races. It was also among the sponsors of a protest in early 2011 at the State Capitol to support former Republican Gov. Scott Walker and his controversial plan to slash public employee collective bargaining rights.

American Majority Action first reported independent expenditures four weeks before the November 8 elections. The group reported spending over $2,500 on literature distribution and phone banks to support Republican gubernatorial challenger Tim Michels and other GOP candidates in various legislative districts. The committee did not report how much it spent on the literature it distributed.

In following weeks, it regularly reported further spending to support Michels as well as Republican candidates in six assembly and two senate districts. All the candidates the committee supported won their respective elections except for Michels in the governor's race and the GOP candidates in the 54th and 64th Assembly districts.

Last active election: 2020

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.

Hijacking Campaign 2022 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Offices | Campaign 2022

Posted: October 13, 2022
Updated: March 22, 2024

Oath • Spending

Free and Fair Elections USA is a newly formed Washington, DC based organization operating as an unregistered committee in Wisconsin state elections. Little is known about the committee aside from what is on its first report to the Wisconsin State Ethics Commission. The organization is registered with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC), but the FEC has little information on the organization at this time.

Less than four weeks before the November 8 election, Free and Fair Elections USA reported spending nearly $40,600 for online advertising against GOP gubernatorial challenger Tim Michels, who sought to deny incumbent Democratic Gov. Tony Evers a second term.

About three weeks before the election, it reported spending about an additional $27,000 for online advertising in opposition to Michels.

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.

Hijacking Campaign 2022 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Offices | Campaign 2022

Posted: October 15, 2022
Updated: March 22, 2024

Oath • Spending

Power to the Polls WI is a newly formed Shorewood, Wisconsin based organization dedicated to protecting voting rights and operating in state elections as an unregistered committee. The organization's registered agent with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions is Bruce Colburn, a long time labor organizer and a founder and officer with Souls to the Polls WI, a group committed to bolstering Black electoral power.

In mid-October, Power to the Poll WI first reported independent spending in the 2022 elections with nearly $9,500 to support incumbent Democrats Gov. Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul.

It would eventually spend nearly $400,000, all but $736 going to support of Evers.

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.

Hijacking Campaign 2022 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Offices | Campaign 2022

Posted: October 17, 2022
Updated: March 22, 2024

Oath • Spending

This is an unregistered committee sponsored by the Democratic Attorneys General Association (DAGA) to make independent expenditures in Wisconsin’s election for attorney general. DAGA is a 527 group, which may raise and spend unlimited amounts of money from any source to spend on elections. DAGA has been active in Wisconsin attorney general elections in the past, in 2006, when it spent over $100,000 through a state PAC and in 2018 when it spent nearly $2.2 million via a registered independent expenditure committee.

In mid-October, the group reported spending over $250,000 on television ads opposing GOP candidate for attorney general, Fond du Lac District Attorney Eric Toney. Toney sought to deny Democratic incumbent Attorney General Josh Kaul a second term. A day after it filed the initial report, DAGA reported spending $150,000 for online advertising against Toney. The ads - here and here - show people in scrubs wearing handcuffs and having their mugshots taken. The ads say Toney supports prosecuting doctors and nurses who perform abortions and making the procedure a felony with no exceptions for rape or incest.

In the following weeks leading up to the election, the committee spent nearly another $1.5 million for television and online ads opposing Toney.

Last Active Election: 2018

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.

Hijacking Campaign 2022 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Offices | Campaign 2022

Posted: October 18, 2022
Updated: March 25, 2024

Oath • Spending

The Washington D.C.-based AFL-CIO uses the Working America committee to make independent expenditures in Wisconsin elections. This is the first year this particular committee has been active in Wisconsin, but the union used a registered committee by the same name to make independent expenditures in the 2011 and 2012 recall and fall elections. In the 2016 fall elections, it used another committee called Working America Coalition. That committee, like this one, operated as an unregistered committee, meaning it was not required to report its income sources to the state.

Three weeks before the Nov. 8 election, the committee reported it had spent about $529 at the end of September for Facebook ads to support Democratic incumbent Gov. Tony Evers. A day after its initial report, Working America reported over $63,000 for more Facebook ads and robo calls to support Evers.

By the time of the election, it had reported spending nearly another $46,000 for online advertising in the race for governor.

Last active election: 2016

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.