GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – One day after WTAQ first reported that Brown County District Attorney David Lasee found a special prosecutor for investigating alleged campaign finance improprieties involving Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt, we’re hearing from both sides of the issue.
Three Green Bay city council members, Chris Wery, Guy Zima and Andy Nicholson, requested an audit of the “Friends of Jim Schmitt” campaign after a report showed possible illegal contributions.
Wery says they met with Lasee this week.
“We came away from that meeting, that he also agreed there’s enough there that it should be looked into,” Wery told WTAQ’s Jerry Bader Thursday. “The person he thought should do it was Mr. Landgraf down in Milwaukee, who has quite a bit of experience in this.”
Wery is speaking of Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Bruce Landgraf. Landgraf was reportedly heavily involved in the John Doe probe targeting conservatives and Governor Walker.
Alderman Wery also said he has reviewed amended campaign finance reports filed this week by Mayor Schmitt to the Green Bay city clerk’s office.
“If you go through it, he does admit to taking corporate money and returning it,” said Wery.
You can see those documents in six parts here: Batch 1, Batch 2, Batch 3, Batch 4, Batch 5, Batch 6.
In brief, Schmitt’s campaign has returned $2,050 in donations in an effort to clear up possible discrepancies. Checks were returned to 2 law firms – Gunta & Reak and Lin, Liebmann, Wied LLC – a company called JPTR, Lyndahl Funeral Home and Oneida Seven Generations Corporation.
Wery calls it part and parcel of what he, along with Zima and Nicholson, has been saying all along.
“The donation from Oneida Seven Generations, of course, he was a huge backer of that and now it’s gone to court and cost us about $100,000 in legal fees to fight it,” said Wery, referring to the ongoing court battle involving a waste-to-energy permit. “With Gunta and Reak, we’ve probably spent over the last 10 years of Jim’s administration $700,000 with them as a law firm.”
It’s unclear how long the Milwaukee County DA’s review will take, but all involved would like to see it done quickly.
SCHMITT RESPONDS
Mayor Jim Schmitt himself has requested an audit after the 3 Alders made an initial call.
“I’m embarrassed about this, I’m upset about this hooey politics that’s going on,” Schmitt told FOX 11 on Thursday.
In the amended campaign finance reports submitted this week, Schmitt said he refunded anything that might raise questions and clear up any possible discrepancies.
“It is not illegal if you don’t balance your checkbook,” Schmitt said. “And we’ve made the necessary corrections.”
When reporters asked about some of the specifics of the returned checks, especially regarding the Oneida Seven Generations Corporation, Schmitt replied, “Yeah that was an oversight, period.”
The mayor adds he plans to cooperate with the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.
Schmitt is seeking his fourth term as mayor. A primary election is set for next month, with the general election to follow in April.
According to the revised documents, Schmitt has raised $114,559 for his campaign.
(Additional reporting from FOX 11).
