Scott Walker, The Koch Bothers, Campaign Finance Irregularities, Dark Money, Who Would of Thought?

WI Club for Growth, Target of Walker Recall Probe, at Center of Dark Money Web 

And the Koch Brothers are Mentioned, Who Would Have Thought?

Governor Scott Walker's campaign and dozens of Republican-aligned political groups have been subpoenaed in a wide-ranging probe into potential campaign finance violations during Wisconsin's contentious 2011 and 2012 recall elections, and a group at the center of the storm appears to be Wisconsin Club for Growth, one of the top spenders during the recalls and whose leaders have close ties to Governor Walker and national donors, including the Koch brothers. 
Center for Media and Democracy's PR Watch Article - Nov. 18, 2013

The Wall Street Journal reports that the secret "John Doe" investigation has hit “dozens of conservative groups with subpoenas demanding documents related to the 2011 and 2012 campaigns to recall Governor [Scott] Walker and state legislative leaders.”  For two years, Governor Scott Walker was caught up in an earlier John Doe probe into political corruption during his 2010 campaign for governor. A second John Doe is underway, and that it is led by Francis Schmitz, a former federal prosecutor who was on George W. Bush's shortlist for a U.S. attorney appointment.

 

Unlimited, Undisclosed, Campaign Contributions Allowed by Citizens United is not Enough for the Corporations, Ultra-Rich, and Super PACS

If unlimited corporate campaign contributions and undisclosed donors (made possible by the  Citizens United v Federal Election Commission ruling by the Supreme Court) don't create enough corruption and influence, corruption in our elections, and influence of our politicians is exacerbated by schemes of dark money. Does that remind you of anyone? Oh yes, The Koch brothers in October of this year, Addicting Info article, 10/27/2013 - Koch Funded Groups To Pay Hugh Fine Following California Dark Money Case  where two Koch supported dark money groups funneled $11M (a total of $15M when it was done) to yet another Koch funded group, which passed it on to a 4th Koch supported group, to oppose two propositions. One proposition was to raise Sales and Income tax while the other would have limited campaign contributions through payroll deductions. 

 

 

The Koch Bothers Attempt to Destroy Social Security

In August of 2013 Senator Bernie Sanders exposed the Koch brothers for trying to destroy Social Security Video of Bernie Sanders on Liberals Unite Exposing Koch Brothers by giving almost $30M to think tanks to write 300 position papers as part of an Echo Chamber created by the brothers . The papers distorted facts like "Raising the Retirement Age a Must," "Social Security is Going Broke," and "We Should Privatize Social Security." The echo chamber utilizes the papers produced by the think tanks, which distort facts (watch the video) through the position papers, pundits, media, and campaign contributions to politicians. 

 

The Koch Brothers and Their Dark Money Rears It's Ugly Head Again

Well here they are again, this time with Scott Walker. Yes, the WI Governor that was recalled after busting  public employee unions, and then won the recall election with a great deal of outside money. The Wisconsin Club for Growth dropped at least $9.1 million supporting Governor Walker, and legislative Republicans, in the 2011 and 2012 recall elections, making it one of the top spenders in the state. It turns out that outside money wasn't the only thing in play.

 "Although the group does not disclose its donors, information that can be gathered from tax filings shows that Wisconsin Club for Growth group took in funds from some of the top Republican donors and Koch-connected dark money conduits in the country, and in turn shuffled millions to other organizations that spent money on ads in 2011 and 2012, all while keeping Wisconsin voters in the dark about the true source of the funds," the Center for Media and Democracy's article states.

The Koch Brothers aren't satisfied with the ability to make unlimited campaign contributions through corporations, made possible by the 2010 Supreme Court ruling. It astonishes this writer that with the Citizens United ruling allowing the unlimited, undisclosed, corporate campaign contributions that it isn't enough. The brothers as well as the ultra-rich, large corporations, and the numerous Super PACS are not satisfied with the amount of influence and power they have over controlling issues important to them. They still feel the need to corrupt our republic with dark money and use everything money can buy to hurt American people, and this country, just to get even more of the wealth. They are out of control and destroying this country. Elections and Politicians are being significantly influenced.

McCutcheon v FEC Will Allow Contributors to Donate 27x More Than They Did in the 2012 Election Cycle!

Timeline Photos

It will get much worse if the the Supreme (Conservative 5) Court Justices rule in favor of McCutcheon. They will most likely rule in the favor of Shaun McCutcheon, an Alabama businessman, in the McCutcheon v FEC case heard October 8, 2013, because the same 5 Conservative Justices are still there that ruled on Citizens United. A ruling in McCutcheon's favor will remove aggregate limits on individual campaign contributions. Top contributors from the fossil fuel industry gave $11,504,213  during the last election cycle. Contributors will be able to contribute 27x more, or $312,455,200, in the next election cycle. Altogether, Super PACS spent $609M during the 2012 election cycle. Overall outside spending topped $1.29 Billion with a "B."  If this is not fixed this country will be destroyed.

Some Actual Facts About Who Thinks Citizens United Is Bad For This Country

by Democracyisforpeople.org

More than two-thirds of respondents to an Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) survey, conducted in April 2012, including 71% of Republicans, believe that "if a company spent $100,000 to help elect a member of Congress it could successfully pressure him or her to change a vote on proposed legislation." shows poll influenced by these groups.

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Brennan Center for Justice (24 April 2012). “National Survey: Super PACs, Corruption, and Democracy.” Re

trieved 27 April

2012, from

http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/national_survey_super_pacs_corruption_and_democracy

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In a March 2012 poll conducted by ABC/Washington Post showed that over two-thirds of Americans (69%) felt Super Pacs should be illegal. Among Tea Party supporters, the number was the same: 69% of Tea Party supporters felt Super PACS should be illegal.
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Eggen, D. (17 Feb 2010, 15 Sept 2011). "Poll:

Large majority opposes Supreme Court's decision on campaign financing."

Washington Post.

Retrieved 15 Sept, 2011, from

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp

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dyn

/content/article/2010/02/17/AR2010021701151.html

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Here's What YOU Can Do: Get Involved

We must act now to defend this great Republic. You can help by contacting your Assemblymen/women, your Congressmen/women, and your Senators. Use the links below to find and contact YOUR Representatives and tell them you support local resolutions to have the Congress introduce and pass a Constitutional Amendment to OVERTURN CITIZENS UNITED.

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