Ethics Commission alleges Trump joint fundraising committee, Brandtjen involved in campaign finance scheme to benefit Vos challenger

Wisconsin's bipartisan Ethics Commission alleged that Donald Trump's Save America joint fundraising committee, state Rep. Janel Brandtjen and 2022 candidate Adam Steen ran an illegal scheme to evade campaign contribution limits and benefit Steen's primary challenge against Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, according to reporting from WisPolitics and the Wisconsin Examiner, with records released Friday, February 23, 2024.

The commission's investigation found that Save America donated $5,000 each to Republican parties in Chippewa, Florence and Langlade counties, which then transferred funds to "Friends of Adam Steen" and his campaign vendors -- a route that, according to the reporting, bypassed the $1,000 cap on PAC donations directly to Assembly candidates. In total, more than $40,000 was allegedly steered to Steen's campaign this way, including $44,702 in confirmed county-party contributions to Steen between July 7 and Nov. 8, 2022, per Forbes' reporting on the commission's findings.

Brandtjen separately donated at least $3,000 to the Langlade County Republican Party, according to the reporting, while also providing advice to Steen's campaign and facilitating contributions to county parties. MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell's $4,000 donation to a county party was also investigated, but the commission found insufficient evidence to allege wrongdoing tied to that specific contribution, per the reporting reviewed.

How the alleged scheme worked

The commission's findings describe use of "63" memo codes on transfers, which the reporting says were used to direct donations exceeding the $1,000 individual/PAC contribution cap into county parties for onward transfer to Steen's campaign -- exploiting Wisconsin's allowance for unlimited donations to political parties, which then passed the money to a specific candidate. The commission alleged coordination between Save America, Brandtjen and Steen regarding these county-party transfers.

In their own words

Did we just screw up really bad?

That question, attributed to the Florence County GOP treasurer, appears in the commission's findings as reported by WisPolitics. Separately, the Florence County GOP chair described the purpose of the arrangement, per the same reporting, as being "To help get rid of Vos actually."

What happens next

The commission referred the matter to district attorneys in Florence, Chippewa and Langlade counties for possible felony prosecution. Those prosecutors have 40 days to report on any action taken, with 30-day reports required afterward if the matter remains open; if no action is taken within 60 days, Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul could pursue the case through the state Department of Justice, according to the reporting. Separate reporting from Fox News later noted that Wisconsin counties declined to prosecute the case, a development outside the scope of this account of the commission's original February 2024 findings.

Steen lost the 2022 Republican primary to Vos by 260 votes. Brandtjen, who represents Menomonee Falls, had clashed with Vos during the 2021-22 session while chairing the Assembly's Campaigns and Elections Committee, and backed Steen's challenge after Vos declined to pursue decertifying Wisconsin's 2020 election results, according to the reporting.

US In News compiled this archived account from contemporaneous coverage by WisPolitics, the Wisconsin Examiner and Forbes. It restores a story originally published on this site in February 2024; figures are as reported at the time.