Hijacking Campaign 2025 | Independent Expenditures | Issue Ads | Candidates | Campaign 2025
Posted: March 13, 2025
Updated: April 7, 2025
Oath • Spending
This is a committee used by the rightwing Virginia-based organization American Majority to make independent expenditures in Wisconsin legislative and statewide elections. American Majority formed in 2010 to recruit and support Republican and conservative candidates in state and local races throughout the country. The group first appeared in Wisconsin politics making independent expenditures in the 2012 gubernatorial recall election via a political action committee (PAC). Since then, American Majority has become a routine presence in Wisconsin elections using four other committees, the most recent three all named American Majority Action, to make disclosed independent expenditures totaling more than $650,000.
About three weeks before the April 1st Wisconsin State Supreme Court election, American Majority reported spending just shy of $4,500* for phone banks and literature distribution in support of Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Brad Schimel for an open seat on the state’s high court. Schimel faced Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford. Although the court is officially nonpartisan, Schimel, who formerly held partisan office as a Republican, was supported by the state GOP as his opponent was by the Democrats. Liberals won a 4-3 majority on the court in the 2023 April election; the election of Schimel would have delivered control back to conservatives. Crawford won the election, preserving the liberal majority.
Although American Majority reports supporting Schimel, the group's campaign literature obtained by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign merely encourages the reader to “Save Wisconsin” and “Vote to uphold the rule of law” without stating which candidate the group prefers. In fact, the literature mentions no candidate or specific political issue.
Two days after it first reported spending in the spring court race, the group reported it had spent over $1.13 million for literature production, distribution and other service to support Schimel.
Fifteen days before the April election, American Majority Action reported spending over $13,600 in staff wages for making phone calls, texts and distributing campaign literature. A day later, it reported spending over another $1,900 for phone calls and literature distribution. The very next day after than, it reported over another $3,600 for the same.
Eleven days out from election day, the group reported spending over $6,700 for phone calls, texts and literature distribution to support Schimel for the court.
Eight days before the election, the committee reported spending over $9,200 for phone calls and literature distribution in support of Schimel. A day later, it reported spending over another $153,000 for much the same.
Four days before the election, it reported spending about $18,400 for phone calls, texting, and campaign literature printing and distrbution.
A day before the election, it reported spending yet another $11,000 for phone calls, texting, and literature distrbution. Two days after the election, Amercan Majority reported about another $70,800 towards campaign literature, phone banks and other expenses.
Three days after the election, it reported over another $13,500 spent in the race.
*American Majority's only reported the wages of campaign staff at first. No information is provided about printing costs or other expenses associated with a phone campaign it the group's first spending report.
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.