Leaders for a Better Community

September 28, 2016

Fall: Oath • Spending

Leaders for a Better Community is a Milwaukee-based group that supports Democratic legislative candidates.  The group's agenda supports better schools, economic development and job creation, tougher gun laws and raising the minimum wage.  The organization is led by Sherwin Hughes, a political consultant and Milwaukee radio talk show host. 

The group recently reported spending nearly $31,100 on television, radio and newspaper advertising to support mostly Milwaukee-area Democratic candidates in numerous legislative races.

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

For Our Future

Posted: September 28, 2016
Updated: June 2, 2017

Fall: Oath • Spending

For Our Future Action Fund is a Washington, D.C.-based group that operates a Super PAC that make independent expenditures to support Democratic candidates. The group is also registered as a 501(c)(4) organization - a favorite U.S. Internal Revenue Service designation used by dark money groups that sponsor undisclosed issue ads in state and federal elections. The group is backed by national labor organizations, like the AFL-CIO, AFSCME, and the National Education Association.

For Our Future reported spending on mailings to support Democrat Mark Harris in the 18th Senate District, and brochures and staff to support Democratic candidates and oppose Republicans in the 14th Senate District and a half-dozen state assembly races.

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.

Prosperity for Everyday People

Posted: September 27, 2016
Updated: May 31, 2017

Prosperity for Everyday People has a Windsor, Wisconsin address and supports Democratic candidates for state office.

Some of the group's funding comes from labor. A 527 organization used by the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing & Pipefitting Industry made a $50,000 contribution to the group on October 5, 2016, and a state political action committee controlled by Operating Engineers Local 139 gave the group $50,000 earlier in July.

The group’s executive director, Sam Raymond, told the Wisconsin State Journal, that the group’s top issues include fair taxation, job creation, and veterans and elderly care. Raymond is a former Washington, D.C. energy and political consultant and campaign manager for former Democratic U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall of West Virginia.

The group is registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service as a 501c4 organization which allows it to secretly raise and spend unlimited amounts of money on "issue ads" without reporting its activities. Paperwork filed with the state, however, shows that the group created a state independent expenditure committee in September 2016 called Wisconsin Prosperity which must report its fundraising and spending activities.

The organization first appeared in the 2016 fall elections when it sponsored television ads praising 18th Senate District candidate Democrat Mark Harris for his record as Winnebago County executive. Harris lost his bid for the open seat to Republican Dan Feyen in the general election.

The group also unsuccessfully opposed Republican incumbent Luther Olsen in the 14th Senate District.

The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign estimates that the group spent nearly $1.2 million on its unsuccessful electioneering activities in the two Senate races.

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin Political Fund

Posted: September 27, 2016
Updated: June 2, 2017

Fall: Oath • Spending

This independent expenditure committee created by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin in 2010 makes independent expenditures on behalf of Democratic candidates for statewide office and the legislature in Wisconsin. Planned Parenthood is the leading advocate and provider of reproductive health care for women in the state and the nation. Between 2010 and 2014, this committee spent more than $1 million on behalf of Democratic candidates. 

In late September, the group reported spending about $8,200 on robocalls and over $90,000 on online ads to support Democratic candidates in Assembly Districts 50, 51, 68 and 85 and in the 18th Senate District, the same races its other independent expenditure commitee was involved in.

Planned Parenthood also operates a second independent expenditure commitee, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin Inc., which spent an additional $768,000 between 2010 and 2014, but never got involved in the 2016 election.

Last active election: 2014

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

We Are Wisconsin Political Fund

Posted: September 22, 2016
Updated: June 2, 2017

Fall: Oath • Spending

This is an independent disbursement committee created in 2012 by a coalition of national labor unions to make independent expenditures to support recalling Republican Gov. Scott Walker, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and four GOP state senators. The committee spent nearly $7.1 million through 2014 on electioneering activities to support Democratic candidates in Wisconsin legislative and statewide elections. 

We Are Wisconsin also operated a political action committee in 2011 that spent about $10.8 million to oppose Republican candidates in nine state Senate recall elections that year. The 2011 and 2012 recalls were prompted in reaction to Walker and the Republican-controlled legislature slashing public employee collective bargaining rights in March 2011.

The group reported spending over $70,000 - most of it for campaign staff  - to support Democrats in five Assembly and four Senate races: Assembly Districts 50, 51, 67, 68, 85 and Senate Districts 10, 12 and 18.

Last active election: 2014

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

Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters PAC

Posted: September 15, 2016
Updated: June 2, 2017

Fall: Oath • Spending

This political action committee is controlled by the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters, a statewide environmental policy, education and advocacy organization.  In addition to lobbying the governor and legislature on environmental matters, the group is also active in state elections recruiting and supporting legislative and statewide candidates that support its agenda. The league mostly supports Democratic candidates for statewide office and the legislature through this PAC and its independent expenditure committee, but weighs in on open Republican primaries through the Conserve Wisconsin PAC. 

The PAC sponsored three 60-second radio ads in late October that urged listeners to vote for Democratic challengers Art Shrader in the 50th Assembly race, David Gorski in the 72nd Assembly contest, and Jeff Wright in the 51st Assembly race. Earlier in the year, the PAC had reported spending money on yard signs supporting Mandy Wright in the open 85th Assembly District.

Last active election: 2014

Leaders for a Better Community

Posted: August 9, 2016
Updated: June 2, 2017

Fall: Oath • Spending

Leaders for a Better Community is a Milwaukee-based issue ad group created in fall 2015 by Sherwin Hughes, a political consultant and Milwaukee radio talk show host. Hughes was formerly the state director of Democrats for Education Reform, a group that was founded by Wall Street hedge fund managers to promote charter and voucher schools.

The group sponsored broadcast ads and mailings in several Milwaukee-area legislative races before the Aug. 9 primaries.

The organization sponsored a television ad attacking Democratic Rep. LaTonya Johnson, of Milwaukee, and mailings that supported Thomas Harris, her opponent in the Democratic primary in the open 6th Senate District.

The group also sponsored an ad in support of Democratic Sen. Lena Taylor, of Milwaukee, who faced a primary challenge for her 4th Senate District seat from Rep. Mandela Barnes, of Milwaukee. Hughes of Leaders for a Better Community is a former aide to Senator Taylor.

The group ran radio and newspaper ads supporting Democratic incumbent Leon Young in the 16th Assembly District. He faced three primary challengers in August.

Finally, the group sponsored television, radio and newspaper ads supporting Jason Fields in a two-way primary in the open 11th Assembly District. Jason Fields had previously held the seat having lost it to Rep. Barnes, Sen. Taylor's 2016 primary challenger, in a primary election in 2012.

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.

Wisconsin Working Families Party Independent Expenditure Committee

Posted: August 9, 2016
Updated: June 2, 2017

Fall: Oath • Spending

This committee was newly created in 2016 by the Working Families Party which describes itself as a coalition of labor and community groups that seeks to elect candidates it considers progressive to local and state offices in 10 states, including Wisconsin. Its state director is Milwaukee County Supervisor Marina Dimitrijevic, who was a Democratic candidate for the Assembly in 2014. The organization’s issues include support for a higher minimum wage, public schools, voting rights, efforts to combat climate change, health care reform, and paid family leave and sick days. The group appears to help the candidates that it supports through phone and door-to-door canvassing activities.

Earlier in 2016, the committee spent about $427,000 on Milwaukee aldermanic and county executive races held during the spring elections.

The group endorsed Democratic candidates in a half-dozen Milwaukee-area Assembly and Senate races before the Aug. 9 primary election.

In November, the committee filed reports showing it spent about $1,300 on brochures in two Assembly and two Senate races. The candidates supported by the group in the Aug. 9 legislative primaries included Mandela Barnes in the 4th Senate District; LaTonya Johnson in the 6th Senate District; David Crowley in the 17th Assembly District; and Darrol Gibson in the 11th Assembly District. Half of those candidates won their respective primaries.

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

Conserve Wisconsin PAC

Posted: August 8, 2016
Updated: June 2, 2017

Fall: Oath • Spending

This political action committee was created in the fall 2014 elections 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 weigh in on open Republican primaries through the Conserve Wisconsin PAC.

The organization supported Ron Tusler in the four-way Republican primary for the open 3rd Assembly District, vacated by long-time Republican incumbent, Al Ott.

Last active election: 2014

WEAC PAC

Posted: August 3, 2016
Updated: June 2, 2017

Fall: Oath • Spending

This political action committee is sponsored by the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), which is the state's largest teachers union.

Among labor unions, WEAC has long been one of the largest direct contributors through WEAC PAC to candidates for statewide office and the legislature - almost exclusively to Democrats. Its spending on independent expenditures has been even more extravagant. Between its PAC and its independent expendtiture committee, WEAC reported nearly $13 million on such spending between 2000 and 2013.

As of 2014, however, the union's independent spending appears to have dried up. It reported no independent spending in 2014 and in 2016 spent less than $300 supporting Democratic primary candidates in the open 43rd and 47th Assembly Districts.

Last active election: 2014