In light of the recent decision made by the State Elections Board ordering U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Green Bay, to relinquish $468,000 of Political Action Committee contributions, Democrats and Republicans alike have clamored for the creation of a bipartisan oversight committee.
The proposed Governmental Accountability Board would be a non-partisan group committed to cleaning up unethical politics in the Wisconsin government.
Though Green's troubles have hoisted the GAB into the limelight recently, many politicians pushed for a vote to appropriate the same committee last May. Authored by state Rep. Mike Ellis, R-Neenah, Senate Bill 1 was passed in the state Senate. However, when the bill entered the Assembly, many Republicans were against having the bill brought up for a vote before the session adjourned.
According to state Rep. Joseph Parisi, D-Madison, Rep. John Gard, R-Peshtigo, speaker of the Assembly, had the power to influence many of the Republican's votes. Gard, with Green's endorsement, is running for the U.S. Rep. position Green currently holds.
State Rep. Stephen J. Freese, R-Dodgeville, one of the most vocal advocates of ethics reform, along with all but two Republicans, refused to vote on the bill.
""[Freese] stuck with his party rather than his principles,"" said state Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, who was in favor of the bill.
Freese, the Wisconsin speaker pro tempore, said the Elections Board's action was ""illegal"", and encouraged Green to take legal action in a statement. Freese said because Green has already spent the money, the Elections Board is going back ""retroactively"" by forcing him to divest of the PAC money.
""You can't go retroactively. It's just like saying now we're going to make selling ice cream illegal, so everybody who sold ice cream two years ago is now going to jail.""
State Rep. Spencer Black said he believes the ""money was already spent"" argument melts under scrutiny. ""That's ridiculous. He has millions of dollars in the bank,"" he said.
Black and other Democrats accuse the PAC money of being illegal in Wisconsin, including donations from Enron, Exxon and Halliburton. ""[Green] has been told what the law is and is evading the law,"" stated Black.
State Rep. Joseph Parisi, D-Madison and state Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, collaborated last May to force a vote on SB 1 in the Assembly. Parisi said it is because many Republican's refused to vote on the bill that Mark Green ultimately finds himself in this dilemma.
""[Green] has no one to blame for this situation but his own party,"" Parisi said.
