Trump PAC referred for prosecution by Wisconsin ethics committee

A Wisconsin oversight panel recommended felony charges against a fundraising committee for Donald Trump and a Republican state lawmaker, accusing them of arranging a scheme to evade campaign finance laws.

The Wisconsin Ethics Commission claimed that Mr Trump’s Save America PAC, Republican officials, state Rep Janel Brandtjen and the campaign committee of Adam Steen, who ran against Assembly speaker Robin Vos in the 2022 primary, sidestepped campaign finance laws in an effort to unseat Mr Vos.

The ethics commission, WisPolitics.com first reported, referred the alleged violations to county prosecutors earlier this week, and recommended charges be brought against the Trump PAC, Ms Brandtjen, Mr Steen’s campaign, three county Republican parties and eight others.

Under the state’s law, individuals and political action committees can contribute a maximum of $1,000 each to Assembly candidates, while county parties can contribute unlimited amounts. However, the commission alleged that the Save America PAC, Ms Brandtjen, Mr Steen’s campaign and Republican parties in three counties conspired to avoid these fundraising limits by funneling at least $40,000 into Mr Steen’s campaign.

Mr Steen, whom Mr Trump endorsed and once called a “motivated patriot”, ultimately lost to Mr Vos by less than 300 votes.

The commission documents allegedly informed county prosecutors that if they don’t initiate charges within 60 days, the commission will bring these referrals to another district attorney or the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

Trump’s PAC donated $5,000 each to three county Republican parties in August 2022, totalling $15,000, the Washington Post reported.

Mr Vos, the longest-serving Assembly speaker in Wisconsin history, refused to