"Carl & Kerry. I am in Madison all day today trying to make sure we are set for our vote to ban's (sic) Green's money on Wed. I had a good meeting with Bob Kasieta and he is on Board (sic) with the arguments we have discussed including the one below." - Michael S. MaistelmanI've been reading the e-mails. I'm sure much of Madison is also reading the e-mails. I'm waiting for the first Democrat to jump this sinking ship.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel weighs in with an editorial:
It's doubtful that a Government Accountability Board would have acted in the same blatantly partisan manner as the Elections Board in deciding whether Green needed to return the campaign funds. Four Democrats on the board were joined by a Libertarian in voting that he had to, even though a previous Elections Board had ruled that Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett could keep funds raised while he was in Congress when he ran for governor in 2001. Green transferred the money reasonably expecting the same ruling would apply to him.
Members of the public are free to contact board members, of course, but the e-mails from attorney Michael Maistelman reveal a coziness that should cause discomfort for anyone who believes the board should be independent of partisan pressure.
"We need to accomplish the following," reads one e-mail to two Democratic board members. Another said, "Even if this ends up in Court, it is a PR victory for us since it makes Green spend money and have to defend the use of his Washington DC dirty money."
We? Us?
The Elections Board counsel is probably correct in saying that no laws were broken. Nonetheless, the ruling in the Green case does not deserve one iota of public confidence.
"I have also been told that the Gov's Campaign and the Dem party and others will give you cover on this in the media - not like what happened on HAVA same day registration.
Even if this ends up in Court it is a PR victory for us since it makes Green spend money and have to defend the use of his Washington DC dirty money.
Thanks, Mike" - Michael S. Maistelman
It will be interesting to see if the Democratic members of the state elections board need to find lawyers and who ends up paying for them. Especially after this was reported:
Deputy State Attorney General Dan Bach said today the Department of Justice is investigating whether the Elections Board violated the open meetings law.Hell hath no fury like a woman voted out of office thanks to Governor Doyle.
Bach disclosed the investigation the same day the Journal Sentinel reported that an attorney for Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle lobbied three Democratic board members to order Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Green to divest his campaign of more than $450,000 in federal political action committee donations.
Mike Maistelman, the attorney for Doyle's campaign, contacted three of the nine board members well short of a quorum. But Bach said the matter must be reviewed because of the nature of Maistelman's e-mails.
"I think it merits looking into it and seeing if there's anything above and beyond that," he said, referring to the e-mails from Maistelman that the Journal Sentinel reported on today.
Bach said he did not know how quickly investigators could act but that they would be mindful the Nov. 7 election is approaching. "I would hope to determine the matter with as much expediency as possible," he said.
