First recall effort launched against Walker, triggering unlimited fundraising

By Jason Stein and Lee Bergquist of the Journal Sentinel

Nov. 4, 2011 (1338) Comments

Madison - A Republican campaign contributor officially filed a recall effort Friday against Gov. Scott Walker, triggering a powerful tool for the GOP leader: unlimited campaign fundraising.

The effect of the filing is to give Walker an extra week and half to raise campaign contributions with no limits that can be used to help defend against a more serious recall attempt against the governor scheduled to begin on Nov. 15. Friday's petition was filed by David Brandt of Muskego in Waukesha County. Brandt is a modest contributor to Walker and the state Republican Party.

In the filing with the state Government Accountability Board, Brandt wrote cryptically that he was registering a recall committee - Close Friends to Recall Walker - to "fulfill my friend's last request."

In Wisconsin, gubernatorial candidates normally can't raise more than $10,000 from a single contributor during a four-year election cycle. But a quirk in state law removes those limits during the first part of recall elections.

Groups like United Wisconsin and the state Democratic Party are starting their recall Walker efforts on Nov. 15. Those groups are angry over Walker's agenda, including his legislation repealing most union bargaining for most public employees.

To succeed in forcing a recall election of the Republican governor, organizers must gather 540,000 signatures in 60 days.

Phone messages left at Brandt's home were not returned. In the handwritten form, he listed himself as the committee's treasurer and said he should be exempt from filing campaign finance reports because the committee would not raise more than $1,000 in a calendar year. That small amount of funding would make it impossible to collect and organize a half million signatures. READ MORE