State Supreme Court Justice Louis Butler failed to immediately disclose a donation from an attorney in a case he was about to hear until asked by reporters Wednesday, with the attorney also on his reelection campaign.
Butler received $500 from attorney Maureen McGinnity for his April 2008 campaign, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. McGinnity also serves on his campaign's finance committee, according to MJS.
Butler released the information in a case that has already come under scrutiny for possible conflicts of interest among other judges on the court.
Earlier this week it was revealed that Justice Annette Ziegler would not recuse herself from the case, which has been lobbied heavily by a group that spent $2 million to get Ziegler elected.
Jay Heck, executive director of the ethics reform group Common Cause in Wisconsin, said despite what the judges might say, their connections to the case would affect their judgment.
It would be best for Wisconsin if neither judge ruled,"" Heck said.
According to Heck, there may also be a conflict of interest in another aspect of the case. Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen received support from Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the same group that is involved in the case and supported Ziegler in April 2006, Heck said.
Gov. Jim Doyle appointed Butler in 2004, with Butler seeking a full 10-year term in the April 2008 elections. The election could determine the ideological balance of the court, according to Heck.
The Butler campaign was unavailable for comment as of press time.
