Still No Charges Against Trump PAC, Others In Money Laundering Case
Credit: @repvos on Xitter
March 27, 2024

A month ago, we reported about a money laundering scheme involving the pro-Trump Saving America PAC, Wisconsin State Representative Janel Brandtjen and several county Republican parties. The allegations are that these MAGAts were telling people to donate money to the Republican Parties in a number of counties, who in turn would funnel the money to Adam Sheen, the MAGA candidate who was running against Speaker Robin Vos. They were doing this to circumvent finance campaign laws that limit the amount of campaign donations.

Now, three off the six county district attorneys asked to investigate and press felony charges against these people have declined to get involved and three are still missing in action:

In all, the commission referred charges to Chippewa, Florence, Langlade, Racine, St. Croix, and Waukesha counties. Prosecutors in the latter three have not yet made their charging decisions. Of the prosecutors who declined to pursue charges based on a conflict of interest, two cited their participation in local Republican politics.

Chippewa County District Attorney Wade Newell told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in February he would refer the charges back to the commission because he is a member of the party that could be charged.

"The Chippewa County District Attorney’s Office takes all potential campaign violations seriously. However, I cannot personally take any action in these matters. As both a past and present member of the Chippewa County Republican Party it would be a conflict for me to take any action regarding these allegations," Newell said in an email.

For the three counties where the prosecutors cited the conflict of interest, the election commission has voted to refer the cases to adjacent counties. The other three counties have another 30 days to take action.

It would have been preferable if they sent the matter directly to the state's attorney general, but hey, this is Wisconsin. We can't fix everything immediately, especially not after 15 years of the Republican's reign of terror.

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