A campaign finance watchdog group announced Tuesday that a liberal organization, headed by a former campaign manager for Gov. Jim Doyle has spent $705,000 in the last two months to pay for negative ads against Doyle's Republican opponent, Mark Green.
The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign said the latest contributions to the progressive Greater Wisconsin Committee now total nearly $1.3 million to fund attack ads.
WDC outreach director Debby Anderson Meyer said non-partisan 527 groups, like the Greater Wisconsin Committee, spend money legally although the money is unregulated and unlimited.
This allows groups to go through loopholes in the law, Anderson said. As long as the ads do not specifically say the word ""vote,"" they are not subject to campaign finance laws.
Bill Christofferson, campaign manager of Doyle's first gubernatorial election, is a major media strategist for the Greater Wisconsin Committee.
According to Jay Heck, director for the non-partisan group Common Cause Wisconsin, Christofferson's position gives the Democratic Party special access to a major advertising avenue.
""In this campaign, [Christofferson] has taken a backseat, but obviously is pumping tons of money into the race to help Doyle under the guise of the Greater Wisconsin Committee,"" Heck said.
He said he believes with Christofferson, there has been ""quite a bit of collaboration"" between the group and the Democratic Party. Though there are laws in the state against this coordination, Heck said there is no way to know how much the sides interact.
Michelle McGrorty, executive director for the Greater Wisconsin Committee said she maintains a strong firewall between her organization and the Democratic Party.
""We just have a policy that we just don't talk to [the Doyle staff] at all. Period. No contact,"" she said.
McGrorty denied any wrongdoing in Christofferson's employment.
""Bill Christofferson worked for the Doyle campaign four years ago,"" she said. ""Since then he has had no contact with the campaign ... there are strict, strict laws about that.""
Mike Prentiss, spokesperson for the Green campaign, said the large flow of money into negative ads shows the desperation and worry of the Democratic Party.
""It's no secret to anyone what the Greater Wisconsin Committee's agenda is and who they exist to help,"" Prentiss said. ""They are an organization formed to get Jim Doyle re-elected.""
According to Anne Lupardus, deputy spokesperson for the Doyle campaign, other groups have spent $4 million in negative ads targeting Doyle.
""Both sides are spending a ton of money. I think both sides are always running scared because it's a very close election,"" Heck said. ""I think [the election] is going to go right down to the wire.""
