Wisconsin Ethics Commission alleges illegal scheme by Trump fundraising committee and Rep. Janel Brandtjen

MADISON – A state oversight panel is recommending Wisconsin prosecutors pursue a slate of felony charges against a fundraising committee for Donald Trump and a Republican state lawmaker in a scheme to evade campaign finance laws surrounding an effort to unseat one of the most powerful Republicans in Wisconsin, Trump foe Assembly Speaker Robin Vos.

The Wisconsin Ethics Commission alleges Trump's Save America political action committee, GOP Rep. Janel Brandtjen, county Republican party officials and the campaign committee of Adam Steen, who ran against Vos in 2022, conspired to avoid state fundraising limits for Steen's bid to replace Vos.

The alleged scheme to flood donations to Steen's campaign materialized as Trump and Brandtjen pressured Vos to take illegal and impractical steps to decertify the 2020 election when President Joe Biden defeated Trump by about 20,000 votes.

Just days before the Republican primary during which Vos defeated Steen by fewer than 300 votes, Trump held a rally in Waukesha County during which he leveled condemnation at Vos and revealed to the crowd that the former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman, hired by Vos to review the 2020 election, had endorsed Steen in the primary.

The commission, made up of three Republicans and three Democrats, on Tuesday referred the alleged violations to several county prosecutors, according to records obtained Friday from the commission. Commissioners noted if the prosecutors do not initiate charges within 60 days, the panel will take the referrals to another district attorney or the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

Wispolitics.com first reported on the recommended charges.

The recommended charges stem from a scheme allegedly orchestrated by Steen and a handful of county Republican parties to funnel donations to Steen's campaign above the individual limit of $1,000 to the county party instead. County parties may give candidates unlimited amounts of donations under state law.

"Friends of Adam Steen advised people that wanted to give more than allowed under Wisconsin’s contribution limits to send it to the Langlade County Republican Party with '63' in the memo line of the check," referring to the Vos' district number, commissioners wrote in their orders.

In August 2022, Steen and his campaign workers arranged for Trump's Save America PAC to donate $5,000 to be sent to the Chippewa County Republican Party and then transferred to Steen's campaign, the commission alleges.

Chippewa County District Attorney Wade Newell told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 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.

Newell said by referring the charges back to the commission, commissioners can take them to another prosecutor or to the state DOJ.

The commission alleges Brandtjen was one of several people providing advice to Steen's campaign, discussed the scheme with Steen and played a role in facilitating donations from Trump's PAC to the GOP parties in Chippewa, Florence and Langlade counties.

"There was at least one recorded conversation where she was discussing getting money fromSave America (PAC) to a county party," the commissioners wrote in the order. Brandtjen also donated $3,000 to the Langlade County GOP ahead of the primary.

"As a representative to the Assembly since 2014, Representative Brandtjen was well awarethat she could not give more than $1,000 to Friends of Adam Steen," commissioners said. "It is also clear that she was supporting Mr. Adam Steen and was aware of the arrangement between Friends of Adam Steen and the Republican Party of Langlade County."

Waukesha County District Attorney Susan Opper told the Journal Sentinel the referral from the commission lacked "fundamental information that would be needed for me to decide how to proceed" and she will make a charging decision after receiving the additional context.

Lawrence Andrea of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.

Molly Beck can be reached at molly.beck@jrn.com.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Ethics Commission alleges illegal scheme by Trump committee