Or so it's been called, his boasting email to Karl Rove.
Here's that section of the just released documents in the Wisconsin John Doe probe:
(pg 119 of 268 -- from the 268 page pdf)
BEFORE THE JOHN DOE JUDGE
STATE OF WISCONSIN -- CIRCUIT COURT
IN THE MATTER OF
JOHN DOE PROCEEDINGS
COLUMBIA Co. Case No. 13JDOOOO11
DANE Co. Case No. 13JD000009
DODGE Co. Case No. 13JD000006
IOWA Co. Case No. 13JDOOOOO1
MILWAUKEE Co. Case No. 12JD000023
STATE'S CONSOLIDATED RESPONSE TO MOTIONS TO QUASH
SUBPOENAS DUCES TECUM:
(pp 127-128)
[...]
During the 2011 and 2012 Wisconsin Senate and Gubernatorial recall elections, R.J. Johnson used WiCFG [Wisconsin Club for Growth] as the hub for the coordinated activities involving 501(c)(4) organizations and FOSW, Beginning' in March 2011,[30] there were open and express discussions of the need to coordinate the activities of entities like Americans for Prosperity (AFP), Club for Growth (CFG), Republican Party of Wisconsin (RPW), Republican State Leadership Committee' (RSLC), and the Republican Governors Association (RGA). Conference calls were held involving entities such as FOSW, RGA, and WMC.[31]
WiCFG funded several other entities, including "501(c)(4)" organizations, enabling those organizations to run advertisements or conduct activity in support of Republican recall candidates or to oppose candidates running against the Republican recall candidates.[32] Money from WiCFG funded the political activities of CFSA, WMCIMC, and other 501(c)(4) organizations.[33] WiCFG also funded CFSA, yet another organization that was controlled by RJ. Johnson. Of the $4,620,025 in revenue reported by CFSA in 2011, WiCFG contributed $4,620,000, or 99.99%, of CFSA revenue. In turn, CFSA provided funding to Wisconsin Family Action ($1,169,045), Wiscousin Right to Life ($347,582), and United Sportsmen of Wisconsin ($245,000).[34] These 501(c)(4) organizations were all actively involved in coordinated absentee ballot application activities during at least the 2011 Wisconsin Senate recall elections.[35]
While working with WiCFG, R.J. Johnson was also coordinating with the RSLC in at least the 2011 Wisconsin Senate recall elections.[36] In an email sent to Karl Rove on May 4, 2011, Governor Scott Walker extolled R.J. Johnson's importance in leading the coordination effort when he wrote:
Bottom-line: R.J. helps keep in place a team that is wildly successful in Wisconsin. We are running 9 recall elections and it will be like running 9 Congressional markets in every market in the state (and Twin Cities.)(emphasis added)[37]
In comments prepared by R.J. Johnson and sent to Governor Walker for use in an August 18, 2011 conference call,[38] Johnson said WiCFG efforts were run by
. . . operative R.J. Johnson and Deborah Jordahl, who coordinated spending through 12 different groups. Most spending by other groups were directly funded by grants from the Club.[39]
During the 2012 Gubernatorial recall election, R.J. Johnson sought and received the assistance of other entities such as "Ending Spending" that also ran television ads.[40]
[...]
(emphasis added by this poster)
30 See Affidavit of December 10, 2012, ¶¶24-25.
31 See Affidavit of December 10, 2012, ¶¶27-28, ¶44-46; Affidavit of September 28, 2013, ¶¶34-37.
32 See Affidavit of September 28, 2013, ¶16; Affidavit of December 10, 2012, ¶39 and Exhibit 28.
33 See Affidavit of September 28, 2013, ¶¶21-27; 41-44.
34 See Affidavit of September 28, 2013, ¶17.
35 See Affidavit of September 30, 2013, pgs. 20, 33; also Affidavit of September 28, 2013, ¶57
36 See Affidavit of September 28, 2013, pg. 25.
37 See Affidavit of December 10, 2012, ¶31.
38 Coincidentally, August 18, 2011 was also the date the GAB certified the official results of the 6 Republican Senate recall elections held on August 9, 2011.
39 See Affidavit of December 10,2012, ¶39, Exhibit 28.
40 See Affidavit of September 28, 2013, ¶30 and FNs 36-37; Affidavit of December 10, 2012, ¶70.
commons.wikimedia.org
So there's the smoke; where's the fire?
Here's the "fire" -- a few pages back, in the Intro of the State's case:
(pp 119-120)
STATE'S CONSOLIDATED RESPONSE TO MOTIONS TO QUASH
SUBPOENAS DUCES TECUM:
I. INTRODUCTION
The State is filing a consolidated response to the motions to quash subpoenas filed in this John Doe proceeding by Friends of Scott Walker (FOSW), Wisconsin Club for Growth (WiCFG), Citizens for a Strong America (CFSA), Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) and Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce -- Issues Mobilization Council (WMC-IMC).[1] The State believes that a consolidated response is proper as the movants make similar arguments concerning the scope and constitutionality of the Subpoenas[2] In asserting their defenses, the movants fail to appreciate the consequences of coordination under Wisconsin campaign finance law. Coordination results in contributions and disbursements subject to regulation regardless of whether the activities constitute express advocacy.
As the movants all speculate as to the nature of the investigation, a detailed summary of the factual basis for this investigation is included. As those facts show, the investigation focuses on a wide-ranging scheme to coordinate activities of several organizations with various candidate committees to thwart attempts to recall Wisconsin Senate and Gubernatorial candidates. That coordination included a nationwide effort to raise undisclosed funds for an organization which then funded the activities of other organizations supporting or opposing candidates subject to recall. The subpoenas are necessarily broad in an effort to collect additional evidence because the coordination activities were extensive and involving at least a dozen separate organizations.
The State recognizes the important First Amendment protections implicated in election campaigns and fundraising. However, the Wisconsin Legislature has also declared that the State of Wisconsin has a compelling interest in transparent campaign financing and that "our democratic system of government can only be maintained if the electorate is informed." Wis. Stat. § 11.0001(1). Furthermore, the United States Supreme Court has found that the citizens' right to know is inherent in the nature of the political process and transparency enables the electorate to make informed decisions and give proper weight to different speakers and messages. Citizens United v. FEC, 130 S.Ct. 876, 899 and 916 (2010.) No court has ever recognized that secret, coordinated activity resulting in "undisclosed" contributions to candidates' campaigns and used to circumvent campaign finance laws is protected by the First Amendment. Accordingly, the purpose of this investigation is to ensure the integrity of the electoral process in Wisconsin.
[...]
(emphasis added by this poster)
1 For the remainder of this response, the initials of the respective entities will be used.
2 Indeed, the legal arguments made by the WiCFG and CFSA are virtually identical.
(My apologies for any typos, as the pdf text appears to be low-quality scanned in character recognition. I've tried to correct the more obvious typos.)
commons.wikimedia.org
There's the crux of the GOP's coordinated "fire" building efforts -- which has been 'burning' the good citizens of Wisconsin (and others) for far too long now.
John (Walker) Doe -- Must Go!
This slow-motion burning of our Democratic system must be quelled. Someway. Somehow. This undisclosed, co-ordinated manipulation of our Elections -- by Billionaires -- must go, too.