Candidates in the News

• Republican Joel Kitchens raised nearly twice as much money for his campaign for the 1st District seat in the State Assembly than Democrat Joe Majeski. According to campaign finance reports filed with the Government Accountability Board, Kitchens raised $155,505.84 and had $62,464.77 in the bank as of Oct. 20. Majeski raised $79,180.75  and had $5,671.10 on hand as of Oct. 20.

• Republican Attorney General candidate Brad Schimel (R-Waukesha) holds a staggering cash-on-hand advantage over Democratic challenger Susan Happ (D-Jefferson) after the final campaign finance reporting period before the Nov. 4 election. Schimel holds a $389,340.97 to $135,403.38 cash-on-hand advantage. This includes all campaign finance activity from July 29to Oct. 20.  

• The State Senate Democratic Committee filed a voter fraud and a tax fraud complaint against 1st District Senator Frank Lasee, centering on whether Lasee lives in Racine or in DePere.

The voter fraud complaint highlights alleged multiple counts of voter fraud from seven different addresses that Lasee has given police officers, municipal clerks, and county courts throughout Wisconsin dating back to 2009. In one case, Lasee used two different addresses within 24 hours.

The tax fraud complaint shows that Lasee and his family in Racine claimed the Wisconsin Lottery Tax Credit, therefore requiring Lasee to maintain full-time residence in the home where it is claimed. Lasee and his family in Racine have claimed the Lottery Tax Credit while Lasee votes in the City of DePere.

“The bottom line is, while looking at the facts, it is overwhelmingly clear that Frank Lasee has either intentionally committed voter fraud or tax fraud. It’s astonishing how shameless Frank is in acting above the laws that families in northeast Wisconsin follow everyday,” Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate said. “It’s far past time for Frank to be held accountable for his actions and be honest with the voters before November’s election.”

A Pulse request for a response from Sen. Lasee went unanswered, however, the Government Accountability Board in June threw out a similar allegation that Lasee does not live in the district he serves. Lasee responded to the complaint with a letter dated June 9, 2014, in which he said the complaint was “nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt at political gamesmanship…”

Lasee said he lives in DePere with his three children, while his wife and her three children live in Racine. Lasee wrote that neither was able to move due to child custody arrangements.

• Most pollsters are giving Gov. Scott Walker a slight edge in the Nov. 4 election. However, one polling group, Rasmussen Reports, gave challenger Mary Burke a 49 percent to 48 percent edge, in a survey of 973 likely voters on Oct. 22. A CBS/New York Times poll on Oct. 23 surveyed 3,308 likely voters, giving Walker the edge with 46 percent and Burke at 45 percent. There were 10 percent undecided in that survey. A St. Norbert/Wisconsin Public Radio survey of 600 likely voters taken Oct. 18-21 found 47 percent for Walker, 46 percent for Burke and six percent undecided. The latest Marquette Law School poll of 1,004 registered voters found 47 percent for both candidates, three percent undecided and one percent refused to answer.