As Election Day Nears, Allegations of Wrongdoing Fly Free

In the midst of a week full of accusations of wrongdoing by both political parties, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin Thursday filed a complaint with the state Government Accountability Board, accusing Republican Sen. Alberta Darling of covering up of collusion with several special-interest groups.

The party is alleging that Darling has had e-mail coordination with four conservative outside groups and she hasn't yet responded to open records requests the party filed on July 13. The complaint alleges collusion with conservative groups - Americans For Prosperity, Wisconsin Family Action, Wisconsin Right to Life and American Federation for Children.

"Darling's refusal is an intentional coverup of her illegal collusion," the complaint states.

Democratic Party Chairpman Mike Tate said Darling only responded to the requests after being threatened with legal action by the Dane County District Attorney’s office but she still hasn't released all the records, he said.

“We believe Alberta Darling has broken the law,” Tate said in a press conference Thursday. "The last acts of her desperate campaign are not merely pathetic. They are illegal."

Under state law, it would be illegal for Darling to coordinate her efforts with any outside group.

Darling's campaign manager Andrew Davis didn't immediately return a call Friday. But during a candidate forum Wednesday, Darling after she failed to respond to a June 8 open records request.

“We have sent both records request back to them,” Darling said. “I have to tell you that my office is going to hear about that one because we routinely answer those requests as soon as possible.”

Tate said the complaint filed against Darling is different than the others filed this week, and isn’t political tit-for-tat.

“All of the evidence is on the table for the allegations against Pasch,” he said.

Yet, the complaint comes with less than a week to go until Darling battles challenger Rep. Sandy Pasch of Whitefish Bay to retain her 8th Senate District seat and on the heels of a by the Republican Party of Wisconsin.

The flying allegations before a big election isn't anything out of the ordinary, said Ken Goldstein, president of Campaign Media Analysis Group and former professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

In big elections like the 8th Senate District contest, campaigns and outside groups pull out all the stops, he said.

"In a close race like the Darling-Pasch one, either campaign will do everything possible to get ahead," he said.

The GOP on Monday asked the Government Accountability Board to investigate whether Pasch is in collusion with the special-interest group Citizen Action of Wisconsin.

Pasch sits on the board of the directors of Citizen Action of Wisconsin, a group actively involved in the recall race.

The group has filed papers with the state saying that it plans spend money to support Pasch in the recall, but as of Monday it hasn't reported doing so.

There is nothing illegal about Pasch being on the board of directors or the group spending money on her behalf, but the group and Pasch can not coordinate efforts.

Special-interest groups on either side of the political spectrum also have been accused of swapping value for votes this week.

On Monday, Wisconsin Jobs Now came under scrunity after it held five get-out-the-vote block parties where it offered free food and free rides to Milwaukee City Hall to cast absentee ballots.

During the parties, the liberal group offered prizes, free t-shirts, free food and free shuttles to the clerk's office to vote in the 8th Senate District race, according to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report. GAB officials and local law enforcement are looking into the parties.

The newspaper quoted Wisconsin Jobs Now spokesperson Janet Veum as calling the parties "a celebration of voting."

On Wednesday, the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office opened an investigation into whether the special-interest groups Wisconsin Right to Life and Family Action coalition offered gift cards to volunteers who persuaded voters to fill out absentee ballot applications, according to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report.

If volunteers were able to obtain 15 pro-life voters to complete an absentee ballot, they’d receive a $25 gift card. The top volunteer would receive a $75 gift card, according to an e-mail the newspaper said.

A spokesperson for the group, Susan Armacost, said the group did nothing illegal.

State law prohibits offering potiental voters anything of value to vote.