'Secret' $1.5 Million to Scott Walker's Political Org Got Wisconsin Billionaire State Tax Breaks

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Michael Isikoff ?@Isikoff
After secret $1.5 million donation to Walker 501c4, Wisconsin billionaire gets state tax breaks https://www.yahoo.com/politics/secret-1-5-million-donation-from-wisconsin-114429739886.html …

John Menard Jr. is widely known as the richest man in Wisconsin. A tough-minded, staunchly conservative 75-year-old billionaire, he owns a highly profitable chain of hardware stores throughout the Midwest. He’s also famously publicity-shy — rarely speaking in public or giving interviews.

So a little more than three years ago, when Menard wanted to back Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker — and help advance his pro-business agenda — he found the perfect way to do so without attracting any attention: He wrote more than $1.5 million in checks to a pro-Walker political advocacy group that pledged to keep its donors secret, three sources directly familiar with the transactions told Yahoo News.

Menard’s previously unreported six-figure contributions to the Wisconsin Club for Growth — a group that spent heavily to defend Walker during a bitter 2012 recall election — seem to have paid off for the businessman and his company. In the past two years, Menard’s company has been awarded up to $1.8 million in special tax credits from a state economic development corporation that Walker chairs, according to state records.

And in his five years in office, Walker’s appointees have sharply scaled back enforcement actions by the state Department of National Resources — a top Menard priority. The agency had repeatedly clashed with Menard and his company under previous governors over citations for violating state environmental laws and had levied a $1.7 million fine against Menard personally, as well as his company, for illegally dumping hazardous wastes...


read more: https://www.yahoo.com/politics/secret-1-5-million-donation-from-wisconsin-114429739886.html

[BeyondGeography]

1. "Stealing should always be this easy."

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2. No worries- Walker has stand up guys who will do the time for him

"Laurel Patrick, Walker’s press secretary, strongly denied that the governor had provided any special favors for Menard and said Walker was “not involved” in the decision to award his firm tax credits, which were approved by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation"

Scott Walker made himself the Chairman of the Board of the WEDC, of course he knows what goes on there. He and his office (DOA) call the shots there. He even uses the WEDC as a front for his campaign trips overseas. That agency essentially disperses state tax money to Republican, and especially Walker, contributors.

Walker runs a stunningly corrupt political operation, but has always maintained just enough distance for plausible deniability. Whenever the law gets close to him, there has always been someone on his staff ready to take the fall and do the time. But Walker is at the center of it all, and with more and more light shining on his operation's activities, his tangled web just might start to unravel.

And this is hardly the first time the Wisconsin Club for Growth contribution scam has been exposed:
LINK How a Mining Company Paid to Play in Walker’s Wisconsin

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3. it should force Walker to publicly answer questions about raising funds for the club

...about whether he has personally 'solicited' them.

[Orsino]

4. Are there any unsold pieces of Walker left to run for president?

Can he even be seen in a mirror anymore?

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5. He's just on commission, it's the people of Wisconsin he's selling

No soul or conscience, no time to think, he just keeps on selling us out for that commission. He's selling his way to the WH- it's all he wants and he will say anything and sell out anybody to get what he wants.

[lutefisk]

6. The reporter, Michael Isikoff, will be on WPR (streaming) Wednesday at 1 pm (CT)

The Walker Probe Intensifies

An investigative article published this week for Yahoo News by Chief Investigative Correspondent, Michael Isikoff claims to have uncovered a secret/dark money contributions in the Scott Walker John Doe probe. The donation is of $1.5million dollars from a Wisconsin billionaire owner of Menards home improvement stores which has since received over $1.8 million in special tax credits. Mr. Isikoff joins Kathleen to discuss what he has uncovered along with the Executive Director of Common Cause in Wisconsin, a local non-partisan, non-profit citizen's lobby focused on campaign finance, and other issues promoting accountable government.

http://www.wpr.org/shows/walker-probe-intensifies

This could be hugh!

Drip, drip...