Wisconsin - Rail exec charged with illegal campaigning for Walker, others.

[Scuba]

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/119595644.html


Railroad executive William E. Gardner was charged Monday morning with two felony counts of violating campaign finance laws for reimbursing his employees for making donations in political contests, including to Gov. Scott Walker in last year's governor's race.

Gardner was charged with one count of exceeding the campaign contribution limits, which is $10,000 per person in the gubernatorial contest. The other felony is for giving money to other individuals so they could make campaign contributions. Both are Class I felonies, which carry a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. The charges were filed Monday morning in Washington County, where Gardner lives.

Gardner is being charged under a state law that prohibits anyone from giving money to someone else so they may make a political donation. The violation is a Class I felony, which has a maximum punishment of 3.5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, according to the complaint.

[Angry Dragon]

1. To the stocks with him

I wonder if a slap on the wrist will be enough for him to stop this behavior??

[eowyn_of_rohan]

2. BFD

In response, Walker returned more than $43,000 in donations to Gardner and a handful of his company workers. (OH ISN'T HE NOBLE) The Assembly Democratic Campaign Committee also has forfeited $3,500 in donations from Gardner.

...Assistant Milwaukee County District Attorney Bruce Landgraf, who oversaw the investigation, said prosecutors reached a plea deal with Gardner.

"Because he was cooperative and accepted responsibility at the outset - providing much of the evidence against himself - we are not recommending jail time," said Landgraf, who investigates election and campaign matters.

In addition, the state Government Accountability Board will be announcing that the employees who were reimbursed for their donations will be fined $250 each and the corporation is being hit with a civil forfeiture of about $166,000.

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Slap on the wrist for this, while so many other crimes are taking place. He is a scapegoat for all the other worse corporate and other crimes going on in our govt . And this is a mere distraction - IMHO anyway!

[Scuba]

5. What happened to 'three strikes and you're out"? Doesn't he already have two felonies? ...

... how can he get away with a slap on the wrist?

[L. Coyote]

3. Both counts are felonies.

MADISON, Wis. — Prosecutors have charged a Wisconsin railroad magnate with making illegal campaign contributions.

Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Company chief executive William Gardner faces one count of excessive political contributions and one count of unlawful political contribution in Washington County. Both counts are felonies.

Gardner last May apologized for using company money to reimburse employees' political donations to Gov. Scott Walker. The governor, who was in the middle of a primary contest at the time, returned about $44,000 in contributions. Donating corporate money to political candidates is illegal in Wisconsin.

Gardner issued a statement saying he didn't realize he was violating the law but says he will plead guilty.

State election officials and Milwaukee prosecutors are handling the case. They planned an afternoon news conference to discuss the investigation.

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/50623dde27f4436fb81abd863cf249e8/WI--Wisconsin-Elections-Milwaukee/

[mod mom]

4. Send to the fed like Ohio GOP Tom Noe

[toddwv]

6. If he was a liberal, he would have received 1 felony count per employee bribed.

Guaranteed.