Unlikely help finally plugs a giant loophole in state campaign finance law

Finally, the biggest loophole in Wisconsin's campaign finance law has been closed, with some help from an unlikely source.

The loophole -- that is hardly an adequate word to describe the gaping hole in the law -- allowed members of Congress to use money from their federal campaign accounts to run for state office.

More to the point, it allowed members of Congress to amass hundreds of thousands of dollars from special interest committees -- money that would be illegal under state law -- and use it for a state race.

Rep. Mark Green was the latest to take advantage of it, transferring $1.3-million from his Congressional campaign account to his governor's campaign. That included, depending upon whose calculation you use, at least $500,000 and perhaps as much as $800,000 in laundered special interest money. That's money that Scott Walker, Green's opponent, could not accept even if he could raise it.

Of course, there would be no reason for those federal PACs to give to Walker. They gave to Green not because they wanted to help him run for governor, but because they wanted him to vote their way on bills in the House.

Green's not the first to do it -- Tom Barrett did the same thing in 2002 on the Democratic sides -- but it looks like he will be the last.

On a tie vote, a legislative committee Wednesday failed to overturn an Elections Board rule that will prohibit such transfers. Now, candidates can transfer a maximum of $43,100 -- the same amount a state political action committee can contribute to a statewide campaign.

Republicans, for some reason, wanted to overturn the rule. But State Sen. Tom Reynolds, a free-thinking Republican wingnut, voted with the Dems and produced a 5-5 tie, which means the rule stands.

It is already illegal, by the way, to raise money in a state campaign account and use it to run for a federal office. Now the law is the same in both directions.

If Rep. Paul Ryan had any plans to use his current $1.3-million balance to run for governor in the future, he'll have to rethink. But if the Senate is his eventual goal, he can keep right on banking that money until the day that opportunity knocks. On the Democratic side, Rep. Ron Kind, who is sometimes mentioned as a candidate for governor or AG, has $369,000 in the bank.

Journal Sentinel story.