How suite it is; Walker in hot waterover tickets, suite use at Badger game

What is it about Scott Walker and free tickets?

He made headlines last summer by giving away $19,000 worth of free tickets to Milwaukee County attractions during a statewide motorcycle tour that looked very much like a gubernatorial campaign event.

Now, Walker and tickets are back in the news, as Madison's WKOW-TV reports:

Walker Ties Tickets To Campaign Cash

Republican candidate for Governor Scott Walker planned to attend the sold out, University of Wisconsin basketball game against Ohio State at the Kohl Center with seven donors to his campaign who were willing to pay at least $1,000 for a prime seat.

An invitation to the Walker fundraiser stated for a minimum $2,000 contribution, a donor could sit courtside.

The invitation also promised a donor would spent the game's halftime in a luxury suite with cocktails.

Walker campaign manager Bruce Pfaff told 27 News the fundraising event complied with all applicable state rules. Pfaff told 27 News, the game tickets were provided by donors and were not owned by corporations, but refused to identify who the donors were.

Wisconsin law prohibits corporations from making direct contributions to political candidates.

The Capital Times reported investment specialist Tim Reiland, who holds several corporate positions, including chairman of Madison-based Musicnotes.com, donated several tickets.

"What's discouraging here is that the campaign is being so secretive about who actually paid for these tickets originally," Mike McCabe, executive director of the government watchdog group, Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, told 27 News.

Pfaff told 27 News the value of the tickets and their donor will be disclosed in required state reports. The next such report is due with the State Elections Board in July.

Pfaff told 27 News Walker and his guests were simply going to drop by a Kohl Center luxury suite at the invitation of the suite's leaseholder.

But Elections Board Executive Director Kevin Kennedy told 27 News the invitation appears to imply the suite's availability is part of the benefit of making a campaign contribution and attending the fundraiser. "They are going to have to reconcile that," said Kennedy.

A list of Kohl Center suite holders obtained by 27 News showed thirty five corporations lease luxury suites. Robert McGinnis of Highland Park, Illinois is the only individual listed as leasing a suite.

27 News could not reach McGinnis to find out if he hosted Walker's halftime campaign fundraising event.

"It's tremendously problematic for the (Walker) campaign to be using a suite," said McCabe.

Kennedy said a corporate-leased luxury suite could be used to stage a campaign fundraising event if an individual hosted the affair and reimbursed the corporation for suite rental, food and beverage.

Jay Heck, executive director of the watchdog group Common Cause, told 27 News Walker's Kohl Center political fundraiser is similar to past campaign fundraising events at sports venues in Wisconsin and appears to comply with election laws.

But Heck said Walker should go beyond minimum requirements for disclosure and immediately identify the source of the tickets and the luxury suite.

On February 11, Walker staged a fundraiser at Lambeau Field during the University of Wisconsin hockey game against Ohio State. That event's invitation stated a $1500 donation was required for luxury box tickets at center ice.

Link to video.

The Capital Times first broke the story:

A cool $2,000 gets you courtside for hoops, Walker fundraiser

By Anita Weier

The two biggest games in town - sports and politics - come together tonight when a candidate for governor has a high-priced fundraiser at the Wisconsin-Ohio State basketball game at the Kohl Center.

Two ticket holders donated eight center-court tickets to the Scott Walker campaign, which then offered seven of them for two different donations. Courtside seats were given for a $2,000-per-ticket donation and a $1,000 donation earned a ticket on the arena's second level. The tickets were offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

The candidate is expected to occupy the eighth center-court seat.

The evening will also feature a halftime gathering in a skybox suite with cocktails, according to a listing of campaign events on The Wheeler Report Web site.

Walker's campaign manager, Bruce Pfaff, was not willing to share details about the fundraiser. But Tim Reiland, who donated four of the tickets, said that all the seats were taken and that Walker would attend.

Reiland, a Shorewood resident who is chairman and chief financial officer of the Musicnotes company, said he donated his tickets to the campaign because he thinks Milwaukee County Executive Walker is "a terrific candidate."

"I live in Milwaukee County and I support Scott. He has great leadership qualities," Reiland said. "He is a very honest, straightforward person who is not afraid to take stands. He is a very atypical politician. That he is young and aggressive works for him. He is a little bit of an outsider."

Reiland said the donation was personal and had nothing to do with his company.

The other tickets were donated by Eric Peterson, apparently the prominent Republican Eric Peterson who formerly owned the Foxboro Golf Club in Oregon. He could not be reached for comment.

Single-game tickets retail for $24 and $22 for men's basketball, but are tough to get because the Badgers have sold out all their home games this season. Season tickets for 2005-2006 sold for $396 for lower- and middle-level seats for 18 games, with ticket-holders in preferred seating areas being required to pay an additional minimum donation of $150 or $100 per seat to guarantee a particular seat.

Notices about the ticket offer benefiting Walker pointedly said that no corporate checks or donations were allowed, in line with state law.

Pfaff refused to confirm information about the event because "I am concerned about opponents learning details," he said.

He did say that Walker "usually" attends his fundraisers, and that the halftime event in a suite probably consisted of just stopping by to see a supporter.

Pfaff would not say who the supporter was or who leased that suite.

"My job is to raise money and report what I'm required to and beat my opponents," he said.

Mike McCabe, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, said he didn't see anything wrong with the fundraiser if one or two supporters simply donated their tickets. Reselling tickets for more than their face value violates a Madison ordinance, but if the sale takes place elsewhere, there is no state law that restricts the practice.

McCabe did say, however, that the fundraising tactic "is an illustration of how the privileged class is front and center in our political campaigns."

Average folks have been pretty much priced out of good seats, McCabe said.

"With all the wining and dining that goes on, it's all part of the game, the way it's being played. A very select group of people are bankrolling these campaigns, a select group of people who have the opportunity to meet and socialize with these candidates," he added.

"It's all because the candidates have such an insatiable appetite for campaign money and are willing to go along."