We Are Milwaukee PAC

Posted: August 1, 2014
Updated: May 30, 2017

Oath • Spending

This is a political action committee created in 2012 by a group that claims to be a coalition of progressive community organizations and labor unions that advocates for "social and economic justice."

The organization filed paperwork with the state showing it intended to make independent expenditures supporting successful Democratic primary candidate David Bowen in the 10th Assembly District and losing Demcocratic primary candidate Marina Dimitrijevic in the 19th Assembly District.

While the PAC sponsored a mailing that touted Dimitrijevic's work on behalf of local domestic partnership and living-wage laws as a Milwaukee County supervisor, it did not report any independent spending.

Last active election: 2013

Physicians for Responsible Government, Inc.

Posted: July 30, 2014
Updated: May 30, 2017

Oath • Spending

This is a new independent expenditure group seeking to repeal and replace the federal Affordable Care Act. The corporation filed documents with the state that showed a post office box in Green Bay and a street address in Appleton.

The group supported Brandon Rosner, one of six candidates in the  Republican primary for the 97th Assembly District seat.

The group sponsored a 30-second radio ad that urged voters to support Rosner because he supports GOP job creation efforts and the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, also called Obamacare.

At the time this description was originally posted the organization had a site that listed an advisory board of physicians. At the time of the last update that page is no longer available and the site's home page only displays the organization's logo and the message "This site is under construction." An ICANN WHOIS search conducted on May 30, 2017 shows former Republican Assembly Speaker John Gard as the contact person for the site. During the 2014 election Gard was, as he is now, a lobbyist for Wisconsin Independent Businesses, Inc. According to state records, Gard has not represented physicians or any medical-related organization in 2014 or any time since.

This organization is registered with the Government Accountability Board as an independent disbursement committee following the January 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. FEC.

American Federation for Children Action Fund Inc.

Posted: July 30, 2014
Updated: May 24, 2017

Oath • Spending

This is the independent disbursement committee created by the American Federation for Children, a Washington D.C.-based group that supports school vouchers, to make independent expenditures in Wisconsin elections.

The American Federation for Children first established this committee during the 2012 fall election and. So far, the committee has been used mainly to funnel funds to the federation's other independent disbursement committee, the American Federation for Children Action Fund IE Committee.

During the 2012 fall elections the Action Fund transferred $380,000 to the American Federation for Children Action Fund IE Committee to spend on outside electioneering activities but reported no such expenditures itself. In the 2013 special elections it never reported any activity. On May 6 it transferred $20,000 to the IE Commitee.

Althought the committee filed oaths of independent disbursements showing support for Republican candidates in eight Assembly races and one Senate race as well as one Democratic incumbent facing a primary challenge, it did not report any spending.

Last active election: 2013

This organization is registered with the Government Accountability Board as an independent disbursement committee following the January 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. FEC.

American Federation for Children Action Fund IE Committee Inc

Posted: July 30, 2014
Updated: May 24, 2017

Oath • Spending

This committee was created by the American Federation for Children, a Washington D.C.-based school voucher group, to make independent expenditures in Wisconsin elections. The corporation reported spending nearly $345,000 on independent expenditures in the fall 2012 legislative elections, but that's only a fraction of the group's total spending on outside electioneering activities since it first started doing them during Wisconsin's 2010 general elections. All told the group has doled out an estimated $4.5 million on independent expenditures and phony issue ads since 2010.

The group spent over $850,000 to pay for mailings (example), radio and online advertising in support of Republican candidates in eight Assembly districts and one Senate race. The group successfully supported one Democrat, long-time Milwaukee legislator Leon Young, against a primary challenger.

The group also runs a second corporation called the American Federation for Children Action Fund Inc. that makes independent expenditures.

Last active election: 2013

This organization is registered with the Government Accountability Board as an independent disbursement committee following the January 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. FEC.

Conserve Wisconsin PAC

Posted: July 28, 2014
Updated: May 25, 2017

Oath • Spending

This is a new political action committee run by the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters to make independent expenditures.  This statewide environmental organization mostly supports Democratic candidates for statewide office and the legislature through its other longtime PAC, but it supported two Republican running for open seats in the Assembly, Robert Brooks in the 60th and Joel Kitchens in the 1st.

Wisconsin REALTORS Political Fund - 1.91 Account

Posted: July 25, 2014
Updated: May 30, 2017

Oath • Spending

This committee was created in 2012 by the Wisconsin Realtors Association to make independent expenditures to support Republican candidates in legislative campaigns. Its political action committee, RPAC Wisconsin, is routinely among the largest PAC contributors in legislative and statewide elections.  In addition to a PAC and a corporation, the association also files 527 group reports about this committee's fundraising and spending with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

The committee supported eventual winner Scott Allen in the Republican primary in the 97th Assembly District and sponsored a 60-second radio ad telling listeners Allen supports lower property taxes, among other things. The primary determined the replacment for former Republican Assembly Majority Leader Bill Kramer who did not seek reelection after being charged with sexual assault.

The group's second quarter 527 report showed it raised $199,381 from two contributions from the National Association of Realtors and spent $49,631 on electioneering activities to support Allen and $149,750 on "professional fees" in the open 19th Senate District seat where it opposed Democratic candidate Penny Bernard Schaber and supported Republican Roger Roth.

Last active election: 2013

This organization is registered with the Government Accountability Board as an independent disbursement committee following the January 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. FEC.

Construction Trades Coalition

Posted: July 28, 2014
Updated: May 25, 2017

Oath • Spending

This is a new independent expenditure group with a Pewaukee address that filed documents with the state showing it intended to make independent expenditures supporting and opposing both Republican and Democratic legislative candidates in the 2014 fall elections. 

The group supported Democratic candidate Mike Sheridan against two other Democrats in a three-way primary for the open seat in the 15th Senate District. The coalition sponsored a 30-second radio ad that touted Sheridan's  experience as a former legislative leader. Sheridan was Assembly Speaker before the Republicans took control of the Assembly in the 2010 elections and Sheridan lost his reelection bid.

The group also indicated it supported Republican Jeff Goelz over his two opponents in a three-way Republican primary for the open seat in the 4th Assembly District. It 

While neither of those candidates won their respective races, the Republicans the group favored in the 1st, 75th and 88th Assembly Districts did win.

Despite its documented activity in the 15th Senate District, the Construction Trades Coaltion did not file any campaign finance reports with the Government Accountability Board in 2014 and, therefore, did not report any independent expenditures.

This organization is registered with the Government Accountability Board as an independent disbursement committee following the January 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. FEC.

Service Employees Local 150

Posted: July 25, 2014
Updated: May 30, 2017

Oath • Spending

This independent expenditure committee is a local branch of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) that represents about 1,300 Milwaukee-area health care workers.

The committee supported Democrat Mary Burke's unsuccessful campaign against incumbent Republican Governor Scott Walker.

Last active election: 2002

Wisconsin Right to Life PAC

Posted: July 21, 2014
Updated: May 30, 2017

Special election: Oath • Spending

This statewide, anti-abortion advocacy group has long engaged in outside electioneering activities in legislative and statewide campaigns typically by making independent expenditures in numerous Senate and Assembly races to support Republicans and oppose Democrats.

The PAC reported spending on behalf of the Republican incumbents for governor and lieutenant governor as well as the Republican candidate for attorney general and Republican candidates in 73 Assembly and 12 Senate races.

Last active election: 2013

Conservatives for Governor Scott Walker

Posted: July 15, 2014
Updated: October 29, 2014

Oath • Spending

This is a Virginia-based independent disbursement committee created in 2014 to make independent expenditures to support Republican Governor Scott Walker in his fall 2014 reelection bid.  The committee is controlled by Conservative StrikeForce which supports conservative candidates for state and federal offices across the country. 

Conservative StrikeForce also operates a political action committee which spent more than $32,000 on robocalls to support Walker in the days leading up to an unsuccessful attempt to recall him in June 2012. Walker, the lieutenant governor and 13 state senators faced recalls in 2011 and 2012 because of their support or opposition to the governor's successful plan to severely restrict public employee collective bargaining rights.

This organization is registered with the Government Accountability Board as an independent disbursement committee following the January 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. FEC.