Posted on 04/15/2006 5:19:26 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- The campaigns of Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager and Gov. Jim Doyle said Friday they would return tens of thousands of dollars in donations tied to a company the state investigated for questionable marketing practices.
Lautenschlager and Doyle, both Democrats up for re-election in November, received donations in the last year from two executives of Buffalo Grove, Ill.-based International Profit Associates.
The state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection referred an investigation into complaints IPA was misrepresenting its business consulting practices to the state Department of Justice in late 2004, said Mike Bauer, administrator of DOJ's Legal Services Division. Complaints involved deceptive advertising and a failure to deliver on promised services.
Assistant Attorney General Cynthia Hirsch, who handled the case, brokered an out-of-court settlement with IPA to reform its practices in February 2005, Bauer said.
Bauer said neither he nor Lautenschlager knew Hirsch was working on the case because it never rose to the level of litigation. Hirsch made the decision to settle on her own, he said. Lautenschlager said in a statement she didn't learn of the case until Thursday.
Between June and December 2005, Lautenschlager received a total of $25,000 tied to the company. That includes the maximum $10,000 from company president Gregg M. Steinberg; $5,000 from company founder and managing director John R. Burgess; and $10,000 from Burgess' wife, Dana.
Doyle's campaign received $10,000 - $5,000 apiece from John Burgess and Steinberg in May 2005.
Lautenschlager said in a statement she doesn't want to fund her campaign with contributions from anyone involved with her agency's enforcement actions. She added she doesn't want any contributions from parties to matters pending before other state agencies for which the Justice Department might litigate.
Doyle campaign spokeswoman Melanie Fonder said the governor decided to return the donations because "it was the right thing to do."
"Some new information was brought to light and we felt it was appropriate to return these contributions to these individuals," she said.
A representative of the company said late Friday that those who could comment on the matter had left for the weekend. No telephone listings for Steinberg and Burgess could be found in the Chicago area.
Lautenschlager challenged her election opponents to divest themselves of contributions from individuals tied to entities the Justice Department might prosecute or has enforcement oversight over.
"I suggest that a complete review of all campaign contributions for all candidates using the above standard as the benchmark be accomplished and any questionable campaign contributions be returned," she said. "It is the right thing to do."
Lautenschlager faces Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk in a Democratic primary in September. The winner will face either Waukesha County District Attorney Paul Bucher or former U.S. attorney J.B. Van Hollen, in the November general election. Bucher and Van Hollen will square off in a Republican primary.
Falk campaign spokeswoman Melissa Mulliken called Lautenschlager's challenge a "deceptive attempt" to divert attention from the fact she got caught taking $25,000 from the company.
Bucher campaign spokesman R.J. Johnson said Lautenschlager did the right thing giving the money back but is trying to turn the whole affair into a political gimmick. He called her challenge "ridiculous" and said Bucher's campaign would police itself.
Van Hollen and his campaign press officials didn't immediately return messages from The Associated Press.
Doyle faces Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Green of Green Bay in the November general election.
Green campaign spokesman Mark Graul blasted the governor for not returning $20,000 from Adelman Travel executives. A state employee in Doyle's administration faces federal charges for allegedly steering a state travel contract to Adelman.
"Peg Got Caught With Her Hand in the Cookie Jar!" Ping. :)
At this rate, if the Dems start giving back all of their "questionable" campaign contributions, they should all be BROKE come November '06. LOL! :)
Thanks for the ping. Good post. Great comment.
Lautenschlager and Doyle, both Democrats up for re-election in November, received donations in the last year from two executives of Buffalo Grove, Ill.-based International Profit Associates.
There is now no mention of "Democrat". Yup, it is gone. :(
I see it. But then, I also see dead people. They always show up around here during elections, LOL!
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WI_JUSTICE_CONTRIBUTIONS_WIOL-?SITE=WIMIL&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-04-14-20-15-35
Time to flush these enormous turds in November.
The Clintons always seemed to have this kind of problem too, and politicians always resolve it by saying they will return the money or saying they have instructed their office to return it .... but they never say they actually have returned the money. I wonder if they ever do. I doubt it.
Peg "The Keg", how is her DUI arrest factoring in this rest? Hard to believe a State Attorney General would be able to be reelected after getting busted for Drunk Driving and trying to get troopers to look the other way.
Peg "The Keg", how is her DUI arrest factoring in this rest? Hard to believe a State Attorney General would be able to be reelected after getting busted for Drunk Driving and trying to get troopers to look the other way.
One question is whether she will win renomination, she may not.
Field the fact she is arrogant enough to run after getting into a car drunk with a possibility to kill makes me sick. Why did'nt Doyle dump her?
IPA was a fraud detectable from about 300 miles away - she cannot credibly say that she a) didn't see it coming and b) has the discernment necessary to be AG. Ach-patooey on Lautenschlager!
Not to mention attending an illegal immigration rally as a featured speaker and telling them she does not enforce the laws on immigration because she doesn't agree with them.
Wow. So they took the original AP story and basically re-wrote it! What schmucks! Not surprising in this town.
I'm sure the late-edition version of the story in 'Das Capital Times' will add the fact that they rescued a litter of newborn kittens from a burning house on their way to return the money, LOL!
"Why didn't Doyle dump her?"
She's got to have the goods on him in some way. I know he saved her from any prosecution in her DUI arrest.
It's such a screwed up mess...and the majority of people in this state DO NOT SEE IT! We just convicted and jailed five high-ranking legislators in this state. Do you think the corruption was contained at that level and no higher? I certainly don't. :(
Saw my first car with a "J.B. Van Hollen for AG" sticker on it, today. In Madison! So, there IS hope. :)
Make that illegal kittens, so they can play both sides of the issue.
There's nothing Doyle can do (wink, wink). The bone-headed people of WI elected this former Clinton appointee and drunk-driver.
LOL! :)
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