The state Ethics Board cleared both a Democratic lawyer and the executive director of the state GOP, deeming their communication with the state Elections Board legal Friday. However, the Elections Board will continue under the close scrutiny of Paul Bucher, a district attorney and attorney general candidate.
The Elections Board has been surrounded by controversy and accusations of being unfairly influenced by political afflictions in their decision ordering gubernatorial candidate Mark Green to divest a major chunk of his campaign money.
Michael Maistelman, a lawyer employed by Gov. Doyle, e-mailed three fellow Democratic members of the Elections Board, urging them to vote against Green and order him to return $468,000 worth of unregistered Political Action Committee money.
Additionally, Rick Wiley, the executive director of the Wisconsin Republican party, phoned a Republican appointee on the board the night before the board voted.
However, the Elections Board will continue to be under the microscope of Bucher. According to the Ethics Board conclusion, the Republican attorney general candidate and Waukesha County District Attorney said he will continue to conduct an investigation ""into whether the Elections Board's proceeding was consistent with the Wisconsin's open meetings law.""
For now, the Ethics Board ruling stands. The agency ruled the case in question was not ""contested"" meaning the case did not resemble a trial in which witnesses are sworn and transcripts are kept. Instead the Ethics Board ruled the case was an investigation because the Elections Board could not enforce their ruling.
If the Ethics Board had ruled the case was contested, all contacts between the Elections Board and questionable outside communications would need to be made public and reviewed by each party.
The Ethics Board said if further evidence suggests the case was contested, they would re-examine and review the case.
The Ethics Board is a non-partisan agency of state government composed of members who do not belong to a political party or hold any position in government besides the Ethics Board.
