Once thought of as a squeaky clean bastion of good government, Wisconsin has been rocked by political scandals in recent years. Now, the politicians want to avoid voting on a proposal to clean up ethics violations. Don't let them dodge accountability! Call the Jensen 10 legislators and ask them to support ethics reform. TheRestofUs.org and 22 other groups are calling on Governor Doyle to call a special session to take up SB1. So far only 1 out of 10 has done the right thing.

Last fall, former Wisconsin Senate President plead guilty to one count of felony misconduct in office and one count of making illegal campaign contributions after it was revealed that Chvala was shaking down ("would not look favorably on") lobbyists and interest groups for campaign cash in return for not killing their bills. Chvala had been charged with 20 different felony counts.

In the March of 2006, former Assembly Majority Leader Scott Jensen was found guilty of three felony counts and one misdemeanor ethics violation for using state resources including his legislative staff to support political campaigns. Jensen's staffer, Sherry Schultz, was also found guilty by the jury. At Jensen's trial, some 41 witnesses testified as to the cesspool that Wisconsin state government has become.

The following ten Wisconsin legislators were mentioned among the more than 200 pieces of evidence considered by the Jensen trial as having benefited or known about the improprieties. They are:

1) Garey Bies: 608-266-5350. A state worker testified that he worked full time on Bies's 2000 campaign and the campaigns of three other candidates while having 50-80% of his time paid for by Wisconsin taxpayers. Blocked efforts to bring SB1 to a vote.

2) Don Friske: 608-266-7694. Three witnesses mentioned doing illegal campaign work for Mr. Friske's 2000 campaign. Friske has said that he knew state workers were helping him, but thought that they were volunteering their time. The treasurer for Friske's campaign testified that she was surprised to be opening unexpected checks from other legislators and special interests that had been solicited by Scott Jensen. Later, the treasurer was asked to send funds back to party leaders with threats that if they didn't pay up now they would get no help in future campaigns. Blocked efforts to bring SB1 to a vote.

3) Scott Gunderson: 608-266-3363. He was mentioned at least twice by government aides in the trial as someone they helped. He said that he couldn't remember because "That's a long dang time ago." Blocked efforts to bring SB1 to a vote.

4) Steve Kestell: 608-266-8530. Testified at the trial that he asked Jensen staffer Sherry Schultz for advice on fundraising and help in filing campaign finance reports. Blocked efforts to bring SB1 to a vote.

5) Judy Krawczyk: 608-266-0485. A party caucus staffer testified that he designed a campaign brochure titled "Let Judy be your Voice" while on the government payroll. Krawczyk says she was not complicit in the crime and just made a dumb mistake in getting swept up in the scandal saying,"If I'm guilty by association, stand me on the courthouse steps and put a dunce cap on my head." A state worker testified that he worked full time on her 2000 campaign and the campaigns of three other candidates while having 50-80% of his time paid for by Wisconsin taxpayers. Blocked efforts to bring SB1 to a vote.

6) Gabe Loeffelholz: 608-266-1170 His treasurer testified at the trial that Jensen's staffer Sherry Schultz helped her after a meeting for campaign treasurers that was set up by a state employee. Schultz later called the treasurer to assure her that special interest PAC checks were on the way. Blocked efforts to bring SB1 to a vote.

7) Phil Montgomery: 608-266-5840. Had a state worker living in his basement working full time on campaigning while mostly on the government payroll. Blocked efforts to bring SB1 to a vote.

8) Mark Pettis: 608-267-2365. A current legislative staffer testified that Jensen's staff assisted her in fundraising when she was working on Pettis's campaign in 2000. Supported efforts to bring SB1 to the floor.

9) Jerry Petrowski: 608-266-1182. Prosecutors entered his campaign finance records as evidence in the Jensen trial. Blocked efforts to bring SB1 to a vote.

10) Jeff Stone: 608-266-8590. Prosecutors entered Stone's campaign finance filings as evidence in the Jensen trial. One piece of evidence indicated that Jensen's staffer Sherry Schultz, who was convicted at the same trial, sent Stone a fax in 1999 that assisted him in fundraising. It began, "Here are the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce names for you . . . ." One witness admitted to working on Stone's 1998 special election campaign while on the payroll of the taxpayer-funded Assembly Caucus -- an outfit that is supposed to only do policy research for political parties. Stone admitted it was possible that state employees aided his 1998 campaign on the government's dime, but that we was unaware of it. Blocked efforts to bring SB1 to a vote.

Even if these legislators were unaware of the illegal activities of Scott Jensen and his staff, you would think that they would be more than eager to enact sweeping ethics and campaign finance reform to help clean up the system and prevent future abuses.

While fundamental campaign finance reforms have been killed year after year, there is now a real opportunity to take an important step forward. The Wisconsin Senate has passed SB 1, a bill to beef up enforcement of ethics and campaign finance rules by establishing a new independent commission.

Unbelievably, the Assembly leadership refused to schedule a vote on SB1 during the regular sessions. Governor Doyle should now call a special session to force legislators to give an up or down vote on ethics reform. Tell the Jensen 10 them the time for sweeping Wisconsin's sleaze under the carpet is over and the time has come to vote for SB1.

Effort to force
a vote fails
45-51. See how they voted.

Political leader says SB 1 won't get a vote because he's heard "nothing at all" from other legislators.