Numerous state legislators are facing trial due to allegations of indiscretion related to campaign finance reform at the state level.
Several state senators and representatives are accused of allowing aides to campaign on state time, spending taxpayer dollars on a private operation.
Some state legislators have already been convicted, including former Senate Majority Leader Chuck Chvala, D-Madison, former Sen. Brian Burke, D-Milwaukee and former state Rep. Bonnie Ladwig, R-Racine.
Chvala was sentenced to nine months in jail after pleading guilty to two felony counts for illegally running a third-party group in the 2000 elections and using state workers and resources for a 1998 campaign.
Seventeen other counts, including extortion, were dismissed because of a plea deal.
Chvala apologized in a statement following his trial.
'Many people stepped over the line, including myself,' he said.
He claimed that employees used comp time and vacations to volunteer on campaigns.
However, Dane County Circuit Judge David Flanagan said the state payroll records are in such disarray that it is impossible to determine when state employees were on state time.
Chvala also hinted that legislators are still campaigning on state time, but he did not name anyone or cite specific evidence.
Chvala and Ladwig are the only accused legislators at this point to receive a plea bargain.
Former Rep. Steven Foti, R-Oconomowoc, will face trail Feb. 21 along with Rep. Scott Jensen, R-Town of Brookfield and former Foti aide Sherry Schultz.
His attorney has not yet reached a plea bargain with Dane County District Attorney Brian Blanchard, because Blanchard wants Foti to testify against his co-defendants in trial.
Under the terms of Ladwig's plea bargain, she must fully cooperate in the Feb. 21 trial of Foti, Jensen and Schultz.
Recently, Gov. Jim Doyle also received criticism from Milwaukee County District Attorney E. Michael McCann for his acceptance of a $725,000 tribal donation.
McCann said although the donation was legal, Doyle's inability to discourage the donation is compromising.
Both Doyle's opponents for re-election, Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker and U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Green Bay, do not support public financing of campaigns.
Both candidates plan to make campaign finance reform a hot-button issue for this year's election. Additionally, Walker recently criticized Green for not returning $30,000 in campaign cash to embattled congressman Tom DeLay.
Judge Flanagan said it is extremely important to protect public institutions, and Wisconsin's image of a clean state government is only becoming more tarnished.
