Did Bucks Investors Pay Off Walker?

Bruce Murphy
One of my first thoughts--do not trust Walker.






Murphy’s Law


Did Bucks Investors Pay Off Walker?
One publication says yes. But most donors to his presidential campaign are secret.


By Bruce Murphy - Jul 30th, 2015 11:14 am





Jon Hammes at a fundraiser for Ald. Nik Kovac. Photo by Michael Horne.



.....................Walker assured tight coordination by having R. J. Johnson as a key campaign consultant, even as as Johnson was chief consultant for the Wisconsin Club for Growth. The now-terminated John Doe probe found there were many emails showing Walker secretly fundraised for the Club for Growth, that his staff advised the governor to “stress that donations to (Club for Growth) are not disclosed,” and detailed meetings Walker had with donors who soon contributed to Club for Growth, including a check to the club with a memo line saying the check was for Walker. Donations to such groups also have no limitation on the amount donors can give.

In the case of Walker’s presidential campaign, which effectively started almost the day after his reelection as governor, there really was no option but to give to third-party groups. Because Walker ran for president for more than six months without announcing he was a candidate or forming a campaign committee. But he was collecting tons of money through a non-profit called The “Unintimidated” political action committee, which allows unlimited donations that can all be made in secrecy. (It’s more than a little ironic that the “Unintimidated” phrase, taken from the title of his book touting Walker’s brave willingness to stand up publicly for what he believes, is now the name of a group that operates in total secrecy.)

A second non-profit formed by Walker, Our American Revival,........

It’s worth noting that the Bucks three biggest owners, Edens, Lasry and Dinan, are together worth more than $5 billion. They could have given generously and secretly to Walker’s support group, in order to help assure the huge 30-year taxpayer contribution to the team. Then you add millionaires like Klappa, Joerres, Kellner and others who are Bucks’ minority investors. It would hardly be a surprise if some of them contributed to Walker. That’s how the political game is played.

Except that now it’s played much differently, in secret. At least in Wisconsin, as a result of the recent Wisconsin Supreme Court decision, it’s now legal for campaigns to coordinate with groups registered as “independent” advocacy groups, and thereby benefit from unlimited secret donations. So we’ll never know who contributed the $20 million to Walker’s secret PAC or what kind of favoritism they might be seeking from him. That, frankly, is far more disturbing than the one connection — involving Hammes — that we do know about.