New Def: for Word "Dark" and Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI)

Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI) - in More Hot Water (maybe)

(Certainly in the Dark Shadows)

The Dark Money story to the Dark Candidate in WI, Gov. Scott Walker (R) from here, edited in part to fit this Blog – a good read and report – needs follow-up, too.

Background: John Menard Jr. is the richest man in Wisconsin  who is a tough-minded, staunchly conservative 75-year-old billionaire who owns a highly profitable chain of hardware stores throughout the Midwest. He  is famously publicity-shy — rarely speaking in public or giving interviews.

Three years ago, when he wanted to back Gov. Scott Walker — and help advance his pro-business agenda — he found the perfect way to do so without attracting any attention: He wrote more than $1.5 million in checks to a pro-Walker political advocacy group that pledged to keep its donors secret, three sources directly familiar with the transactions have said. Menard’s previously unreported six-figure contributions to the Wisconsin Club for Growth — a group that spent heavily to defend Walker during a bitter 2012 recall election — seem to have paid off for the businessman and his company in two key ways:

1.  In the past two years, Menard’s company has been awarded up to $1.8 million in special tax credits from a state economic development corporation that Walker chairs, according to state records.

2.  In his five years in office, Walker’s appointees have sharply scaled back enforcement actions by the state Department of National Resources — a top Menard priority. The agency had repeatedly clashed with Menard and his company under previous governors over citations for violating state environmental laws and had levied a $1.7 million fine against Menard personally, as well as his company, for illegally dumping hazardous wastes.

Laurel Patrick, Walker’s press secretary, strongly denied that the governor had provided any special favors for Menard and said Walker was “not involved” in the decision to award his firm tax credits, which were approved by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation for expansions of existing facilities in order to create jobs. 

David Rivkin, a lawyer for the Wisconsin Club for Growth, said he could not discuss any contributors to the group but added in an email: “Wisconsin Club for Growth has never advocated on behalf of any specific individuals or corporations. Rather, it has vigorously advocated on behalf of issues and causes that are consistent with its philosophy of limited government, free markets and individual liberty.”

Some court records that have been made public about the new fundraising probe, known as “John Doe 2,” show that, when he first faced a potential recall election in 2011, Walker had personally solicited donations to the Wisconsin Club for Growth in order “to ensure correct messaging” in ads that were supporting his policies, according to an email sent by one of his fundraisers. His aides referred to the group as “your 501c 4,” a reference to the provision of the tax code under which non-disclosing advocacy groups are organized. (Um... maybe quid pro quo after all)...

One federal judge, concluding that the investigation was a violation of the free-speech rights of the advocacy groups, ordered last year that the probe be shut down and directed prosecutors “to permanently destroy” all the evidence they had obtained.

That order was later reversed, and next month the Wisconsin Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether the investigation should proceed. The outcome could well determine whether Walker will be confronted with questions about the secret donations — and any benefits the contributors might have received — while he runs for president.

Gerald C. Nichol, a retired judge who chairs the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, the state agency that enforces state election laws, strongly disputed that there were any political motives behind the investigation. “I have seen nothing in terms of political bias. This is not a witch hunt,” he said (Note: Nichol is former Republican district attorney originally appointed to his post by DEM Gov. James Doyle and then reappointed by Walker in 2012). 

Nichol also said: “This is a way of giving money to a campaign and not having it identified, and the amount involved. I find this disturbing to the system generally. I don’t care if it’s on the Republican or Democratic side. Both of them are now using this.” 

Still, the funds from Menard — and other hefty secret donations to nonprofit groups closely aligned with Walker — could loom larger as the Wisconsin governor emerges as a top-tier candidate for the Republican presidential nomination.

Stay tuned .. this ain't over yet, especially with Walker's ties the Koch billions, too.