Wisconsin Democracy Campaign's press releases and special reports cover issues central to our mission, including campaign fundraising, political corruption and more.
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October 17, 2005
Madison -Three wealthy contributors already have violated the annual $10,000 limit on campaign contributions to state political candidates and committees, including a Milwaukee attorney who violated the limit in 2002, according to a Wisconsin Democracy Campaign analysis.
October 12, 2005
Madison - Democratic Governor Jim Doyle accepted more than $200,000 in campaign contributions during the first six months of 2005 from wealthy out-of-state donors who also give generously to shadow groups that spend millions nationally on negative campaign advertising, a Wisconsin Democracy Campaign review shows.
August 4, 2005
Madison – Wealthy special interests are blocking communities from tailoring laws that best fit the needs and wishes of their citizens because they contribute millions of dollars to state policymakers who concoct state laws that prohibit local decision-making to benefit big campaign contributors, a Wisconsin Democracy Campaign report shows.
August 1, 2005
Madison – Legislative leaders and the four leadership committees they control raised 56 percent of the $1.36 million in contributions gleaned from special interests by all legislators while they were considering the 2005-07 state budget, a Wisconsin Democracy Campaign analysis shows.
July 26, 2005
Madison – Half of the Wisconsin legislators elected last November accepted two-thirds or more of their large individual campaign contributions in the 2004 election cycle from wealthy special interests who could not vote for them, a Wisconsin Democracy Campaign analysis shows.
Posted: May 25, 2005
Updated: May 27, 2005
Madison - Democratic Governor Jim Doyle’s proposed state budget and a handful of GOP legislative proposals could cost taxpayers at least $118 each a year because policymakers refuse to curtail special interest perks benefiting big campaign contributors to help close a $1.6 billion budget deficit, according to a Wisconsin Democracy Campaign report.
April 27, 2005
Madison – The number of well-heeled contributors who violate the $10,000 annual limit on total contributions to committees and candidates for state and local offices dropped in 2004 to one, the lowest number since 1999, according to a Wisconsin Democracy Campaign review.
April 12, 2005
Madison – Republican legislators and Democratic Governor Jim Doyle have received nearly $8 million or 3.8 times more in campaign contributions from wealthy supporters than from opponents of an environmental deregulation bill and another proposal to ease the financial and legal liability of big business, a Wisconsin Democracy Campaign analysis shows.
March 28, 2005
Madison - Wisconsin residents contributed $23.96 million to federal candidates, parties, political action committees and unregulated groups in the 2003-04 election cycle, including $1.2 million to congressional candidates outside the state, a Wisconsin Democracy Campaign analysis shows.
March 16, 2005
Madison - Millions of dollars a year in aid meant to help low and middle income people get good jobs are being diverted by the state to corporate welfare, with by far the biggest handouts going to contributors to state election campaigns, according to a report by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.
Posted: February 22, 2005
Updated: March 8, 2005
Madison - A coalition of more than two dozen public interest groups collectively representing hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin citizens today issued a renewed call for political reforms restoring competitive elections, clean campaigns and vigorous ethics enforcement.
February 22, 2005
Campaign finance reform legislation has been introduced this session as 2005 Senate Bill 46. The proposed legislation contains many good reform elements. But as it is currently written SB 46 is akin to a prototype of a futuristic automobile that does not have a working engine. It looks good in the showroom but it would not perform on the road.
February 21, 2005
Madison - Special interests spent a record $6.65 million on mostly negative advertising and mailings in 2004 legislative elections, more than quintupling what they spent a mere eight years ago and far surpassing what candidates in the most competitive races spent on their own campaigns, a Wisconsin Democracy Campaign analysis shows.
February 14, 2005
Madison - Legislative campaigns spent nearly $10 million in 2004, smashing the old spending record by $1.5 million even though nearly half the candidates faced little or no opposition for their jobs, a Wisconsin Democracy Campaign analysis shows.
February 8, 2005
Madison - Legislative leaders tapped special interests’ pocketbooks to raise a record of nearly $1 million in 2004 through their four legislative campaign committees, a Wisconsin Democracy Campaign analysis shows.
January 31, 2005
Madison - In the first in a series of forums around the state aimed at promoting civic involvement and activism among college-age students, the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign is co-sponsoring a “Student Dialogue for Democracy” on Monday, February 21, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Edgewood College (Predolin Humanities Building, Room 112).
January 24, 2005
Madison - To reach a broader audience with an indictment of dysfunctional state government and a call to action on behalf of political reform, the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign will begin airing a television ad in several state TV markets in the next week.
January 10, 2005
Madison - Wealthy special interests and phony front groups like All Children Matter, Americans for a Brighter Tomorrow and Citizens for Wisconsin’s Future will continue to be able to avoid disclosing their political donations and skirt campaign contribution limits in state law under a soon-to-be-introduced campaign finance reform bill, the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign said today.
January 3, 2005
Madison - A lawsuit was filed December 23 on behalf of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign’s director and other plaintiffs seeking cancellation of the state’s controversial $14 million contract with the global consulting firm Accenture to create and maintain a statewide voter registration system.
December 16, 2004
A multi-partisan group of citizens today announced at a Capitol press conference that a "People’s Legislature" will be convened on Tuesday, January 4 in Madison to focus attention on how the people’s business has given way to a money-driven special interest agenda, engage people who feel shut out of the state political process, mobilize support for political reforms and begin building a homegrown grassroots movement to take back state government and restore democracy.
November 18, 2004
Madison - Three utilities contributed $50,660 to Governor Jim Doyle’s campaign shortly before and after the state approved their controversial coal plant and electrical transmission line projects, a Wisconsin Democracy Campaign analysis shows.
November 18, 2004
Madison - Responding to political corruption, an epidemic of uncontested races for state offices and growing polarization and partisan animosity at the State Capitol with a new call for reform, the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign today offered a five-part prescription for what ails democracy in the state.
October 27, 2004
Madison - Wisconsin contributions to federal candidates, parties, political action committees and unregulated groups through mid-October of the 2003-04 election cycle total $19.2 million, a Wisconsin Democracy Campaign analysis shows.
October 19, 2004
Madison - Five partisan appointees on the state Elections Board joined Wisconsin’s governor and three top legislative leaders in receiving "Nero Awards" handed out today by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign for ignoring public demands for reform and failing to provide leadership needed to clean up a Capitol engulfed in political scandal.
September 27, 2004
Madison - Legislative officeholders had nearly $3.1 million in campaign funds and a $9-$1 advantage over their challengers two months before the November general election, a Wisconsin Democracy Campaign analysis shows.