Posted on Thursday, 21st September 2006 by Patrick Dorwin
(This will be updated as news breaks)
List of of other bloggers covering this.
A Doyle campaign lawyer lobbied the State Elections Board in the days before the outrageous decision to retroactively enforce a rule change in an effort to force Mark Green to lose almost a half million dollars in campaign funds. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Steven Walters, has committed what Sykes would call a flagrant act of journalism and has exposed this elections board for what they are, a bunch of slimy democratic hacks! The emails that they went after proves that Jim Doyle and his people will do anything to win.
JS Online:Doyle lawyer urged sanction
A lawyer for Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle’s campaign repeatedly lobbied three Democratic members of the State Elections Board before they voted with the majority to order Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Green to divest $467,844 in donations from out-of-state political action committees, records show.
Attorney Michael S. Maistelman bluntly told Democratic Party members of the board he contacted why they should publicly sanction or punish the Green campaign, according to documents obtained by the Journal Sentinel under the state’s open records law.
“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,” Maistelman said in a 9:31 a.m. e-mail one day before the vote. He sent the message to Carl Holborn and Kerry Dwyer, board members appointed by Democratic leaders of the Legislature.
[...]
E-mails and other documents obtained under the open records law show that Maistelman carefully chose which board members to lobby to avoid a potentially illegal “walking quorum” of board members scheduled to vote on Aug. 30 on whether to penalize Green’s campaign.
At one point, Maistelman noted that another Democratic board member, Sherwin Hughes, Doyle’s designee on the board, must be kept “out of the (contact) loop as I do not want to run into a violation of the Open Meetings laws.”
The records show that Maistelman targeted Democratic board members Kasieta, Dwyer and Holborn with his e-mails and calls, and a visit to Kasieta’s office, to advocate that the board find a way to punish Green’s campaign.
Maistelman also suggested ways to do it.
“We need to accomplish the following,” Maistelman e-mailed Holborn and Dwyer at 9:30 a.m. on the day before the Elections Board vote. In the same e-mail, Maistelman suggested possible anti-Green decisions the board could make.
In another e-mail the same day, Maistelman told the three Democrats that Holburn had suggested to him that the Elections Board “give Green an opportunity to get the out-of-state PACs registered so the (board) looks reasonable.”
Maistelman added that he had run that idea “by the powers that be,” and they had approved it.
This Journal Sentinel article is a MUST READ!
From the Mark Green Press Release:
In a stunning Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article today, it was revealed that Governor Jim Doyle’s campaign collaborated with the Democrat appointees on the state Elections Board to defy their own legal counsel’s advice and state law when they reversed nearly 30 years of precedent to retroactively change campaign finance rules to help Doyle’s flagging campaign.
The attorney, Michael Maistelman, who has received $21,411 in legal payments from the Doyle campaign over the past three years, even reassured the board members that Doyle’s campaign and the Democratic Party of Wisconsin would provide them “cover†for their actions. He also noted that if their decision ends up getting overturned in court, it will be a “PR victory†for the Doyle campaign. Maistelman was even asked to help in preparing the motion needed to harm the Green campaign.
J.B. Van Hollen has also issued a statement:
“It is clear that the State Elections Board has become a puppet of the partisans in power in Madison. We need to fix the mess in Madison and one way to do this is to have Elections and Ethics law monitored and enforced by the Wisconsin Department of Justice. Regarding the current allegations, I believe DOJ’s Division of Criminal Investigation should immediately launch an inquiry to see whether not only if the Elections Board vote was rigged, but also if state resources were used for the Doyle campaign.s political advantage.”
The Van Hollen campaign said the latest ethical lapse by the Doyle points to the need for change and reform.
“A legitimate board within the department of justice is needed; however, what is not needed is oversight by an Attorney General hand picked by Governor Doyle,” said Van Hollen campaign manager Juston Johnson. “You won’t hear one bad word from Ms. Falk regarding the antics of her mentor, Jim Doyle or his campaign.”
The case of the money in question goes to court today, This information hits at the right time.
State Senator Mike Ellis,the man pressing for much needed reform of the Elections Board with his SB-1, joined Charlie Sykes on the radio, you can listen to his comments here.
[audio:Ellis.mp3]
Download Audio
Charlie Sykes has links to more coverage and links to the original emails that the paper recovered to write this story.
The Republican Party of Wisconsin has issued a strong statement.
RPW: Smoking Guns Point at Doyle
“Jim Doyle knows he has a huge credibility gap when it comes to ethics,” Wiley said, “This is disgraceful. Jim Doyle has once again shown his arrogance and cavalier attitude. Wisconsin’s former top cop has fallen from grace. His punch-drunk power binge is about to come to an end.”
Seemingly understanding that the decision would draw wide criticism and ultimately be overturned in court, Maistelman wrote in one email: “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. 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.”
Wisconsin Bloggers on the story:
From the Right:
Charlie Sykes: A DEFINING MOMENT
Spotted Horse: Is anyone suprised by this?
Lakeshore Laments: Doyle Campaign Attorney Lobbied 3 on Elections Board
Boots & Sabers: Doyle Lawyer Pulls Strings at State Elections Board to Punish Green
No Runny Eggs: Gov’s race – 9/21 update
Texas Hold’em Blogger: MANIPULATUION OF STATE ELECTIONS BOARD
The American Mind: Doyle’s Lawyer Had Board Stick It to Green
Right Off The Shore: Dem Elections Board members influenced by Doyle flak
From Where I Sit: Doyle’s lawyer orchestrated the election board’s partisian decision to sanction Mark Green’s campaign
Fraley’s DailyTakes: DRIP!
Ask Me Later: Doyle’s Goin Down!
Dad 29: Lawyer Lies!!! Maistelman Exposed
Above The Belt: Scumbag Lawyers One and All
Jessica McBride: Wow. Everyone knew it, but this proves it
Jeff Wagner: Two outstanding posts- “Doyle Rig” Crashes And Burns! & It’s Bad to Forget The Lessons Of Watergate – Just Ask Nixon Or Doyle
Patrick McIlheran: Do it for the team, said Doyle’s guy
Spring City Chronicle: Diamond Jim Puts The Fix On
Stepping Right Up: No shock here, how will the rest of Wisconsin react?
Wigderson Library & Pub: Jury tampering? Also see: Jury tampering? the update and: Jury tampering? part three
Milwaukee-ID10T: Doyle’s Lack of Ethics
The Consortium: More Dirty Politics in Wisconsin
Frank Lassee: No Surprise Here – Doyle Lawyer Intimately Involved in Elections Board Decision Against Green
Freedom Eden: Jim Doyle: Sleazy as I Wanna Be
Gibbsville Unincorporated: Doyle Lawyer Influences State Election Board
GOP3: Doyle Political Thugs Declare Democracy Over In Wisconsin
Right From The Right: Doyle lawyer urged sanction
Shark and Shepherd: Doyle’s on fire again
Real Debate Wisconsin: Doyle caught.
Red State: Wisconsin Governor’s Race: Doyle Lawyers Lobbied Election Board to Sanction Green Campaign
Subject To Change: Truth: Stranger Than Fiction
Random 10: Rising Star: Attorney Maistelman
Marquette Warrior: Sleazy Doyle Campaign Tactic Highlights Dangers of Finance Reform
Blogs from the left:
In Effect: Doyle Campaign Turns Asset into Liability
The Xoff Files: Today’s ‘expose’
Milwaukee Rising: With friends like Maistelman…
Also, the papers All Politics blog has coverage and will likely be updated throughout the day as reaction continues to build.
Location, location, location
At least one of the meetings that took place between Doyle lawyers and board members appears to have taken place in Waukesha County… Paul Bucher is still the District Attorney there, this doesn’t seem to be a wise idea if you ask me.
The news is starting to spread.
WISN TV in Milwaukee: Records Show Doyle Lawyer Lobbied Board Members Before Vote
WIZM Radio in La Crosse: Dirty Tricks Exposed in Governor Doyle’s Campaign
WISN Radio: Ellis asks for ethics, criminal investigation
Not a surprise, but the Sykes/Wagner web exclusive podcast also deals with this issue.
Now, THIS is good! 
DOJ to investigate
I don’t trust them, but at least they are looking into this.
JSOnline: Review planned of Elections Board lobbying
Deputy State Attorney General Dan Bach said today the Department of Justice is investigating whether the Elections Board violated the open meetings law.
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.
The Capitol Times has picked up the story. Green: Doyle aide lobbied Elections Board
Jessica McBride thinks that maybe the Elections Board should read their own stuff sometime: What the Elections Board is SUPPOSED to stand for
Who is Michael Maistelman?
Mark Belling filled us in on who Mr. Maistelman works for. He is the attorney that crammed a pawn shop down the throats of Racine, he is the lawyer of the payday loan store that Wauatosa is fighting to keep out, and Michael Maistelman is the treasurer of the Jim Sullivan campaign. Sullivan is running against Senator Tom Reynolds. I wonder if any intrepid reporter has yet asked Mr. Sullivan if he would like to comment on the questionable activity that one of his top people is involved in… Humm?
Day 2 coverage and more updates are posted here.
Posted in Home | Comments (23) |
September 21st, 2006 at 11:44 am
[...] Patrick at Badger Blogger: The emails that they went after proves that Jim Doyle and his people will do anything to win. [...]
September 21st, 2006 at 12:24 pm
[...] Badger Blogger I’ll stop here because Patrick is updating his list faster and better. [...]
September 21st, 2006 at 2:04 pm
Mind if I borrow the USS Doyle pic? It’s definitely descriptive.
Also, I’ve changed the permalink structure back to the WordPress default, so the 9/21 update is at http://norunnyeggs.eggstor.com/?p=588 Also, I do have a second thought (H/T – Mike at the Spring City Chronicle, who also has some more outstate press react at that link), noting that Mike Ellis is calling on the Waukesha County DA’s office to investigate (he also called on Dane County DA Brian Blanchard to do the same, but we all know that Blanchard is the Doyle Protection Ward’s handpicked hatchet man).
September 21st, 2006 at 2:07 pm
Feel free to use anything
I’ll update the link.
September 21st, 2006 at 2:30 pm
I’m keeping a running taly of reaction as well. And it’s coming in bunches.
Does this qualify as a blogswarm?
September 21st, 2006 at 2:35 pm
On, Rick over at Shark & Shepherd is good too.
September 21st, 2006 at 2:39 pm
If this doesn’t qualify as a BlogSwarm, I don’t know what would
September 21st, 2006 at 3:31 pm
Nice roundup, Patrick. I hope the Green team picks up this major fumble and runs with it. This is big…
September 21st, 2006 at 3:44 pm
This is also being reported in The Capital Times
It is also interesting to see all the Dems getting asked questions about this. The responses are either about some other topic or not available.
September 21st, 2006 at 4:35 pm
If the past five years hadn’t included slashed tires, Milwaukee voter fraud, vetoed voter ID bills, the Lautenberg switch in New Jersey, the call for illegals voting in California and the other lowbrow tricks perpetrated by some Democrats, I would have found it hard to believe that the Doyle campaign would sink to this level.
I don’t find it hard to believe that Doyle sunk to this level.
September 21st, 2006 at 5:21 pm
But will The Green Team get an ad out quickly and take advantage of this? Or will they continue the soft, cutesy approach his campaign favors?
If Green doesn’t smell blood here and go in for the kill, he has no chance.
September 21st, 2006 at 6:08 pm
Just when you thought Team Craps couldn’t get any lower…
State Justice Department seeking to have $1.24 million of $1.3 million tranfer declared illegal.
More commentary back at No Runny Eggs.
September 21st, 2006 at 9:15 pm
more indepth comments at my blog now…come by and say something
September 21st, 2006 at 9:36 pm
The only player looking good here is the Board’s Libertarian designee, Jacob Burns.
September 21st, 2006 at 9:37 pm
Thank you Mr. Masel, I needed a good laugh before I go to bed, and you gave it to me.
September 21st, 2006 at 11:48 pm
Mark Green needs to hit back. Hard. He needs to quit trying to be cute and quit the ads that try to be funny but really aren’t and start screaming from the rooftops that Doyle is a damn crook.
I just saw the Doyle ad with Green wearing a shirt readin “I love PACs.” That’s really funny coming from a guy who takes money from the trial lawyers, the teachers’ unions, the indian tribes, and Adelman travel, and does whatever they want, every freaking time.
I hear Georgia Thompson is about to be sentenced really soon. I hope to God she reached a deal and starts singing.
September 22nd, 2006 at 6:10 am
Georgia Thompson will be sentenced today I believe.
September 22nd, 2006 at 10:53 am
The prosecution is recommending 27 months, while the defense wants the E. Michael McCan’t/Mac-Mac treatment when she is facing up to 26 years. I doubt she sang.
The sentence should be out shortly, if it isn’t already handed down. It was due to be handed down this morning.
September 22nd, 2006 at 12:27 pm
Incredible.
So Georgia Thompson is going to take the entire fall for Travelgate, even though she had absolutely nothing to gain from it.
Not to sound conspiratorial or anything, but do you think somebody got to her?
September 23rd, 2006 at 2:10 pm
Georgia Thompson, Jim Doyle’s Susan McDougal.
December 28th, 2006 at 8:51 pm
[...] On Tuesday, a day before the deadline, the Milwaukee Elections Board will meet to certify the signatures and set the date for the election. McGee lawyer Mike Maistelman (yes, THAT Mike Maistelman) says he will go to court to try to block this hearing from taking place. [...]
January 12th, 2007 at 5:49 am
[...] Alderman Michael McGee / McJackson / McJr is going to the State Elections Board to try to stop the recall against him. At least he has the right lawyer for it, Michael Maistelman is the one that lobbied this same Elections Board on behalf of Jim Doyle to manipulate their findings in their favor. This is still under criminal investigation by the Waukesha District Attorneys Office… Speaking of the Waukesha D.A., former D.A. Paul Bucher is now an attorney for McGee’s opponent, ViAnna Jordan. McGee to ask for recall to be blocked [...]
January 17th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
[...] The state elections board has delayed the recall election against Alderman Michael Mc-take-your-pick. We all remember the last time Mike Maistelman had dealings with this board. The state Elections Board today blocked, at least temporarily, a recall election against Milwaukee Ald. Michael McGee after members of the city’s Election Commission repudiated their vote to allow the recall to proceed. [link] [...]